16 December 2024

VCF statement following the verdict into the tragic death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif at the hands of her father and stepmother 

The inevitable calls for action sadly highlight the lack of implementation of child protection reforms and developments, and effective sharing of information, that have led to continuing harm to particularly Black and minority ethnic (BME) and disabled children, and a blatant disregard for the rights of every child.

Sara Sharif was not a hidden child – she was known to the authorities. As in the tragic case of Victoria Climbié, she simply fell through the gaps and was failed by services involved in her life. Concerns had been raised and seemingly not acted upon within a multi agency framework. 

There are serious questions to be answered by children’s services, and how the tragic deaths of Sara Sharif and multiple children could have been prevented, including Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Star Hobson, Logan Mwangi, Finley Boden and many more… 

We need to go wider than inward-looking reviews, and be more inclusive in cases where children have been murdered or seriously injured. 

We must improve the quality of services to children for whom interventions should legally be determined on the basis of significant harm and in their best interests, not on political will that leads to inappropriate and unacceptable practice for children, their parents and certain communities. 

The desired implementation of reforms has since been replaced by policy decisions that are adversely impacting on children, families and community engagement, and the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill. 

Maybe, now is the time for an independent public investigation into the effectiveness of the child protection system 25 years on, as we continue to see gross failures by authorities and child deaths. 

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VCF – The Victoria Climbié Foundation UK campaigns for improvements in child protection policies and practices, and the link organisation between statutory services and the community 

VCF is the leading independent organisation addressing issues of child abuse linked to faith or beliefs across all ethnicities