Grandfather of Sara Sharif urges his son to hand himself in
GuardianJUL 2023
Sara Sharif's tragic death must not be forgotten, for her suffering symbolizes a call for urgent reform to protect all children. Allegedly tortured and silenced, her young life was surrounded by adults who saw, heard, yet remained silent. As a society, we cannot afford complacency, nor the notion that “reasonable chastisement” has any place in a world that values the innocence and rights of children. Sara’s memory demands that we reevaluate our laws and safeguard the vulnerable before another life is lost.
Sara Sharif's death highlights a harrowing systemic failure in child safeguarding. She was failed by an overwhelmed, under-resourced system unable to act in time. Campaigners call this failure catastrophic, accusing a rigid bureaucracy focused on targets over human intervention. Despite prior reforms and pleas for resources, children like Sara remain neglected in a crisis-laden system. Her death underscores a desperate need for accountability and a radical overhaul in safeguarding vulnerable children.