The murdered 10-year-old girl Sara Sharif was known to authorities before she was found dead at her family home in Woking, the council has confirmed.
This comes as detectives hunt for Sara’s father Malik Urfan Sharif, 41, who fled to Pakistan from the UK with his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and brother, Faisal Malik, 28, a day before the girl’s body was discovered at the Horsell area of Surrey.
All three are now wanted for questioning about Sara’s murder.
Surrey County Council have said they are working ‘tirelessly’ to fully understand the fallout leading up to Sara’s death – and have now revealed that the girl was known to them before her death.
A spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘We can confirm that Sara Sharif was known to Surrey County Council, but we are unable to comment further while the thorough review process of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership is ongoing.’
Murdered 10-year-old girl Sara Sharif (pictured) was known to authorities before she was found dead at her family home in Woking, the council has confirmed
Sara’s father, Malik Urfan Sharif, 41, fled the UK a day before the girl’s body was discovered at the family home in the Horsell area of Surrey
Police are holding a crime scene and investigation at Sara Sharif’s home in Woking on Thursday
Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver also said on Friday that a multi-agency investigation into child protection practices is now underway.
He said: ‘An investigation is ongoing by Surrey Police into the tragic death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif and we are working tirelessly with our security partners to get a full understanding of the situation as quickly as possible.
“This is an incredibly sad situation, and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with everyone affected.
“We can confirm that, in accordance with standard procedure following the death of a child, the National Child Safeguarding Panel has been notified of the death and a rapid multi-agency review is underway.
‘This Rapid Review will determine whether a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) should be carried out by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership.
‘A Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is a legal process, bringing together partners including the police, health, social care and education authorities to review the practice of all relevant agencies, organizational structures and learning.’
Last week, Surrey Police revealed that Sara’s body was discovered on August 10 after Sharif called them from Pakistan, prompting police to search the family’s £500,000 council house.
While autopsy failed to determine cause of death, results revealed bruising on her body, indicating that the little girl had “suffered multiple and extensive injuries, probably caused over a sustained and prolonged period.”
Mr Sharif, a local taxi driver in Surrey, is originally from Jhelum, in the Punjab region of North West Pakistan, where police fear he has returned with his partner and brother.
Last week, Imran Sharif, one of Mr. Sharif’s brothers in Jhelum, revealed that his fugitive brother visited the family home alone once since returning to Pakistan but left soon after. He denied knowing the whereabouts of his suspected brother.
Last night Malik Imran, the investigative officer of the Saddar police station in Jhelum, who is coordinating the investigation, said: “We are under enormous pressure from the authorities to find the location of Urfan Sharif.
“The British High Commission in Islamabad is pressuring us to find (Urfan Sharif) immediately or they will send their own investigators.”
He added: “We have been told to find out his location. But how can we find the location, since we don’t think he has any gadgets (mobile phones) with us to locate him.’
Separately, Sara’s mother, Polish Olga Sharif, 36, who was married to Mr Sharif between 2009 and 2017, urged her ex-husband to “come forward and explain herself.”
Olga, who lives in Somerset, praised British police for a job well done in tracking him down.
She said, “The police are doing a good job finding him.”
The father’s brother Faisal Malik, 28, pictured also fled the UK
Police fear Beinash Batool, 29, pictured joined the two men and traveled to Jhelum, in the Punjab region of north-west Pakistan
Heartbroken, Ms. Sharif praised her daughter as “a wonderful child” and added, “She was so beautiful. I can’t believe she’s dead.’
Ms. Sharif hopes to bury her child back in her native Poland.
Detective Mark Chapman, from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: ‘We now know that Sara suffered multiple and extensive injuries over a sustained and prolonged period, which has significantly changed the nature of our investigation. the timescale of the focus of our research.
“That’s why we’re trying to paint a picture of Sara’s lifestyle, but we can’t do this without the help of the public.
“We therefore appeal to anyone who has known Sara, had any contact with her or has any other information about her, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward as soon as possible.”