UK - Sara Sharif, 10, found murdered in house, Surrey, Aug 2023 *POIs sought*

[MCsleuthster]

I can't speak for the UK, but the average age of graduate school in the US is 26 - 28. So no, it actually isn't too old the US. Doubt it would be in the UK either.

MOO.

In my experience, it would depend on what he was studying and at what level e.g. doing a PhD at 28 wouldn't be unexpected but doing an undergraduate Bachelors degree at 28 would be unusual. This is on the basis that most university students doing their first degree go straight to uni from college - they leave college at 18 and go on to do a 3/4 year course, so graduate at the age of 21/22. It could have been that he was in the UK studying a postgraduate qualification though, so he'd completed his first degree and was doing another e.g. Masters or Doctorate. It's not something I would have expected but also isn't unheard of.

JMO.

 

[mpnola]

Fully agreed. I felt forced to home-school my oldest for her 1st/2nd years of school, because the school the council offered us what absolutely atrocious. Home-schooling doesn't = abuse. Just like being a Muslim family doesn't = abuse. Etc.

And all the abuse that I found out existed through my life was done to children who attended school. I'm not sure why the magical belief that kids who go to school don't get abused. I don't need a government who is HORRIBLE at the jobs they currently have to tell me if my child is being raised or educated properly. No thanks. They fail at everything and they need another task? Why is dcfs so incompetent?

Don't believe me? What happened to the Turpin children after they were rescued? Did the abuse in the government approved home keep them safe?!?! Yeah. It's way bigger than that. But it's easy to push on homeschool because it makes people think it only happens to "those" kids. We need to focus on all children who live with abusers. Start protecting children and give harsh sentences to people who harm and abuse. Currently, it's a tiny slap and then they return to the child, who gets abused even worse. That's the change that is needed.

 

[rightsaidfred]

And all the abuse that I found out existed through my life was done to children who attended school. I'm not sure why the magical belief that kids who go to school don't get abused.

Absolutely no one is saying that.

What we are saying is that children in school have multiple professionals who are quietly looking out for their welfare, and can make sure they get lunch every day and step in if something is starting to look odd.

Too many bruises, hypersexualised behaviour, too thin, routinely inadequate packed lunches, routinely inadequate personal hygiene... all of those are the sorts of things that will be noticed.

The child also has trusted professional adults who they can confide in.

Too many children who are being home educated aren't coming into regular contact with a professional who has safeguarding training, so there is a vastly lower chance that they will be noticed.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Urfan Sharif, pictured with Beinash Batool, briefly visited the family home in Jhelum, Punjab province, before disappearing again, said his father.

Sharif said his son did not tell him about Sara’s death. “We want them to present themselves,” Sharif told the paper. “We want them to resolve the matter as the privacy of our house is affected due to frequent police raids.”

Surrey police are appealing for information to help them piece together a picture of how Sara lived before her death.

Police widened the timescale of their investigation after a postmortem showed the child had multiple and extensive injuries that were likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time.

Renewing the appeal last week, Det Supt Mark Chapman, of the Surrey police and Sussex police major crime team, said: “We would like to thank those people who have already come forward and reported information to us. However, we know that there will be lots of people in the Woking community and beyond who will have had contact with Sara who may not already have come forward, and we would encourage them to do so.

“Any information is better than no information – although you might think it’s insignificant, it might be vital to the investigation and in helping us to bring justice for Sara.”

Grandfather of Sara Sharif urges his son to hand himself in

Body of 10-year-old found at Woking property after her father called police from Pakistan on 10 August

www.theguardian.com

 

[Legally Bland]

And all the abuse that I found out existed through my life was done to children who attended school. I'm not sure why the magical belief that kids who go to school don't get abused. I don't need a government who is HORRIBLE at the jobs they currently have to tell me if my child is being raised or educated properly. No thanks. They fail at everything and they need another task? Why is dcfs so incompetent?

Don't believe me? What happened to the Turpin children after they were rescued? Did the abuse in the government approved home keep them safe?!?! Yeah. It's way bigger than that. But it's easy to push on homeschool because it makes people think it only happens to "those" kids. We need to focus on all children who live with abusers. Start protecting children and give harsh sentences to people who harm and abuse. Currently, it's a tiny slap and then they return to the child, who gets abused even worse. That's the change that is needed.

Nobody has said that abuse only happens to children who are home schooled. In this particular case I think it's fair to suspect that Sara was taken out of public school to hide the abuse she was suffering, given the details of what we know.

As for the Turpin's, it's unforgivable what happened to them after they were rescued, but they're hardly an advert for the benefits of home schooling. They were also home schooled to hide abuse. I'm pretty sure the Turpin parents got life sentences rather than a slap on the wrist, although I do agree many abusers get away far too lightly.

But this thread is about Sara, not homeschooling. She turned up at school with cuts and bruises and the next day she was withdrawn from school. A few months later she is found dead having suffered multiple and extensive injuries, which are likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time.

I think it's fair to speculate as to why she was withdrawn from school. It's not a critique of the choices you made for your own child/ren.

 

[NextSprint]

And all the abuse that I found out existed through my life was done to children who attended school. I'm not sure why the magical belief that kids who go to school don't get abused. I don't need a government who is HORRIBLE at the jobs they currently have to tell me if my child is being raised or educated properly. No thanks. They fail at everything and they need another task? Why is dcfs so incompetent?

Don't believe me? What happened to the Turpin children after they were rescued? Did the abuse in the government approved home keep them safe?!?! Yeah. It's way bigger than that. But it's easy to push on homeschool because it makes people think it only happens to "those" kids. We need to focus on all children who live with abusers. Start protecting children and give harsh sentences to people who harm and abuse. Currently, it's a tiny slap and then they return to the child, who gets abused even worse. That's the change that is needed.

Agreed. There's no sanctity in government institutions. We've seen time and again, failures by social services, the police, and schools, to prevent abuses.

 

[NextSprint]

Absolutely no one is saying that.

What we are saying is that children in school have multiple professionals who are quietly looking out for their welfare, and can make sure they get lunch every day and step in if something is starting to look odd.

Too many bruises, hypersexualised behaviour, too thin, routinely inadequate packed lunches, routinely inadequate personal hygiene... all of those are the sorts of things that will be noticed.

The child also has trusted professional adults who they can confide in.

Too many children who are being home educated aren't coming into regular contact with a professional who has safeguarding training, so there is a vastly lower chance that they will be noticed.

I wish I could agree with your optimism on the ability of schools to carry out this function. The truth is they can't be relied on to do it in any routine way across the country, in my view.

 

[Alyce]

The grandfather of a 10-year-old girl who was found dead at her home has claimed that the child's fugitive father is on the verge of handing himself in to police in Pakistan.

Speaking to The Mirror from the family home in Jehlum, which is 85 miles from Islamabad, Sara's grandfather Muhammad Sharif said: 'As far as I know, my son and his wife are willing to surrender and they will do so soon.'

I don't know where they are but I can tell that they are not in Jehlum

Sara Sharif's fugitive father 'willing to surrender soon'

An international manhunt was launched after police discovered Sara Sharif's body with a catalogue of injuries at the house in Woking, Surrey, following a phone call made by her father.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[VioletLilac]

So he's been in contact with them then? Hopefully the police can trace the phone.

 

[heartandsoul]

I hope there's truth in that. Sara deserves justice.

 

[Alyce]

On Monday officers said that the trio were constantly moving and were closely following media reports to keep ahead.

“We are trying our best to arrest Urfan, Beinash and Faisal soon. They keep changing the locations”,
Malik Nisar, a police inspector at Domeli Police Station in Jhelum and a head of one of the three teams hunting them told The Telegraph.

Sardar Nisar Ahmed Khan, the spokesman of the Regional Police Office Rawalpindi added:
“The media is reporting minute by minute and I think they are changing the location through media reporting and they are monitoring the news to avoid the arrest. Police initiated several raids but got no breakthrough yet. This case is a challenge for us and we want to unburden ourselves by arresting them soon”.

Access Restricted

 

[NextSprint]

On Monday officers said that the trio were constantly moving and were closely following media reports to keep ahead.

“We are trying our best to arrest Urfan, Beinash and Faisal soon. They keep changing the locations”,
Malik Nisar, a police inspector at Domeli Police Station in Jhelum and a head of one of the three teams hunting them told The Telegraph.

Sardar Nisar Ahmed Khan, the spokesman of the Regional Police Office Rawalpindi added:
“The media is reporting minute by minute and I think they are changing the location through media reporting and they are monitoring the news to avoid the arrest. Police initiated several raids but got no breakthrough yet. This case is a challenge for us and we want to unburden ourselves by arresting them soon”.

Access Restricted

Might be handy to stop telling the media how and where you're tracking them... Just an idea.

 

[Dotta]

"Pakistan police told the BBC they had expanded the search to two more areas around the city of Jhelum - taking the total to four areas, having received new information from multiple sources."

Sara Sharif: Pakistan police widen search for family - BBC News

Sara Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking the day after her family flew to Pakistan.

www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[iamshadow21]

"Pakistan police told the BBC they had expanded the search to two more areas around the city of Jhelum - taking the total to four areas, having received new information from multiple sources."

Sara Sharif: Pakistan police widen search for family - BBC News

Sara Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking the day after her family flew to Pakistan.

www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org

I'm not terribly familiar with inquests and how they work in reality. Are we likely to find much of substance out, or it more likely to be adjourned if they're still waiting on results from the medical examiner?

MOO

 

[PKFS]

Today - coroner hearing for the little girl :-( (I think this is public). Forgive me if this is upsetting.

 

[Nikynoo]

I'm not terribly familiar with inquests and how they work in reality. Are we likely to find much of substance out, or it more likely to be adjourned if they're still waiting on results from the medical examiner?

MOO

Inquests are usually open and adjourned until legal proceedings have completed.

 

[Skigh]

Sara Sharif mystery as cause of death 'not yet found' 19 days on from tragedy

A coroner has opened an inquest into the death of Sara Sharif, ten, who was found dead in her home near Woking, Surrey, as the search for her family in Pakistan goes on

www.mirror.co.uk

An inquest into the tragic death of Sara Sharif found her cause of death has "not yet been determined" as it opened this morning, as the search for her family continues.

The ten-year-old was found dead in her home near Woking, Surrey, on August 10. Investigations into the tragedy are ongoing, although officers are said to be finding it painful because of the youngsters' painful death.


An inquest into the younger's death opened this morning at Woking Coroner's Court and was told although her cause of death has not yet ben determined, it was likely to have been "unnatural". Adding his condolences to the family, Coroner Simon Wickens adjourned inquest proceedings until February 29 2024 to allow police to to carry out investigations.

 

[Dotta]

Until February 2024???

Will Sara's body be given to mother to bury her?

 

[RichardKimble]

Until February 2024???

Will Sara's body be given to mother to bury her?

Not until cause of death as been determined at least.

 

[JennieM]

Mr Wickens, the area coroner for the County of Surrey, said he would not normally adjourn proceedings for such a long period, but he was doing so because of the complexity of the police investigation and the international element.

He confirmed that Sara Sharif was born in Slough in January 2013 and died in her home in Woking.

Her death was verified in the early hours of 10 August, but that was not necessarily the time of death.

She was identified by comparing her DNA with that of her mother Olga Sharif.

The court heard that at a post-mortem examination the pathologist Nathaniel Carey was unable to ascertain the precise cause of death, but said it was likely to be unnatural.

The coroner offered his sincere condolences to Sara's family and suspended the inquest until 29 February.

Nobody from her family was present at the inquest opening.

BBM

Sara Sharif: Cause of death not yet established, says coroner

The cause of 10-year-old Sara Sharif's death was "not yet ascertained", an inquest hears.

www.bbc.co.uk