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sara sharif was murdered by the people who were supposed to be looking after her. the court heard there were many missed opportunities to protect her. why does this little girl's story feel like one we have heard too many times before? we will ask the children's commissioner. live from broadcasting house, this is newsnight, with insights and interviews.

today, the father and stepmother of 10—year—old sara sharif were found guily of her murder. sara was subjected to horrific suffering for more than two years. it's a case which will remind many people of victoria climbie, who was aged just eight when in 2001 she was murdered by relatives after months of torture. in 2007,17—month—old peter connelly — known as baby p — is found dead with catastrophic injuries. in 2020,16—month—old star hobson is murdered by her mother's partner. at multiple points, the pair managed to deflect attention from social services. star's great—grandfather david fawcett told newsnight how today's news brought back very sad memories. it brings it back home. what's just happened today, the trial, it's more or less three years ago today since the trial of star was, you know, was going on.

so it brings it all back, really. it's just so upsetting. does it make you want to to think about star and maybe sort of make a gesture or do something? oh, yes. yes. because i mean, this time of year anyway we stay, you know, it's like christmas. it was one of those occasions where we just wish she were here with us. so yeah, it brings it all back home. and it must be the same for sara's family. you know, what they've had to go through. well, yeah. because sara's mum put out a statement calling her her angel and saying how much this, this means to her. that must be sort of similar sort of feelings that you that you've had to experience? when i heard this news, you just think, is this going to keep on happening? you know, we thought, well, you know, when it happened

with star, social services and all this, it all something would get sorted out and you wouldn't hear of these things happening as much, but itjust seems to keep on happening. i mean, there's been several murders since we lost star. when this one came up i thought it is children again, it seems to be children that suffer. what do you think it is about the system, because we're meant to have a system of child protection, what do you think it is about the system that means this has happened again. it's communication. you know, communicate with the police as soon as you see any signs of abuse. they should be on the ball there. but because definitely there weren't for star and obviously they weren't for sara. so when they made these changes, theyjust need all to communicate, you know, with teachers at school, the police, social services. but they seem to just... i don't know, it's like something's missing.

how does it feeljust on a human level, knowing that there were moments where this absolutely awful thing could have been prevented, knowing that there's just a moment where history could have gone in a completely different direction? yeah. well, it could have done. i mean, just that, uh, if they'd have acted properly, the social services, star would have still been with us today. but they obviously didn't. you know, they didn't do theirjobs properly. and after what's happened now with little sara, they're still not doing theirjobs properly. and i noticed when we were starting to get ready for this interview, just behind you in the room, there is a star on the wall. is that for star? that is for her, yes. and what does that mean to you? it's just she's with me all the time. i've got a little star on myjacket that i work with.

i always, you know, carry a star around. it's just a symbol of, you know, she'll always be a part of us. i just try to cope with it. we'll never get over star. we'll never get over losing star. but you've just got to learn to live with it. and that's what i try to do the best. and what's the thing that's helped you most to to live with it? i just think at the moments that we had with star, sometimes, you know, it's like... you know, if i'm feeling... i just think of the good times that we had, you know, the happy times. i can't, you know, it's such a sad thing, an awful tragedy. but i try to outdo it with the the good points. and i actually love to watch little videos of her and and it's, you know, i just... itjust makes me feel good. what's your favourite video? well, i played the guitar on a couple of videos with her and she's

singing and dancing and, you know, she's. .. you could see how happy she was at that time. it was a such a happy period, because it was the time when she were actually living with... she lived with us for three months, and that three months was just so amazing. star was and frankie were isolated. they were taken away from us, went to live about about eight miles away from where we were living at, and we never were getting any contact. and it was that what was so hard because our phones were blocked. it was the the monster that was doing all the... she didn't want anything to do with us. and i, you know, she wanted to keep star away from us. and i think it were all down to that.

you know, wejust found it hard because we didn't know what was going off. we we, you know, we tried our best to get frankie away from her, like. but she was sort of so controlled, she sort of believed everything she said. and it was just so sad. well, david, we really appreciate your time tonight. thank you very much. 0k. thank you. david fawcett. so why can't we stop cases like this from happening? i'm joined down the line from merseyside by the children's commissioner, rachel de souza. hi, rachel. we have had decades and decades of work put into child protection, but why do we still see horrendous cases like this happening?— horrendous cases like this ha enin: ? ~ , happening? look, i think the first thin happening? look, ithink the first thin i happening? look, i think the first thing i want _ happening? look, i think the first thing i want to — happening? look, i think the first thing i want to say _ happening? look, i think the first thing i want to say is _ happening? look, i think the first thing i want to say is that - happening? look, i think the first thing i want to say is that tonight| thing i want to say is that tonight what we are thinking about is sara sharif�*s broken, tortured little body, the last terrible hours of her life that we have heard about, and i

think we have to say that her death, like star's death, she was murdered in a terrible way by those that were meant to love her the most and there will always be wicked people who are meant to care for their own children and instead torture and kill them. there is that reality, but there is no question in the sara sharif case, difference but the same problem with the star case, the services that were meant to be the safety net to keep her safe, get her away from this, failed. my frustration, and i think what i am hearing in your question, is we must not say, oh, lessons must be learned, we need multi—agency working, we need a review. we actually need change and action now, and in sara's case there are some really clear actions at

systemic level as well as the accountabilities of those involved, but some really clear system level, government and local, which need to happen. government and local, which need to ha en. ,, government and local, which need to hauen. ., ., , , happen. spell those out for us very clearl . in happen. spell those out for us very clearly. in sara's _ happen. spell those out for us very clearly. in sara's case, _ happen. spell those out for us very clearly. in sara's case, what - happen. spell those out for us very clearly. in sara's case, what we - clearly. in sara's case, what we saw, clearly. in sara's case, what we saw. the _ clearly. in sara's case, what we saw, the school _ clearly. in sara's case, what we saw, the school picked - clearly. in sara's case, what we saw, the school picked up - clearly. in sara's case, what we saw, the school picked up the l clearly. in sara's case, what we - saw, the school picked up the issue, they were worried about the bruises, they were worried about the bruises, they referred her. sara was known to social care from before she was born, meaning everybody knows, the data shows you are six times more likely to end up dead, frankly, killed, murdered. and yet when she was referred to, her case was dropped in six days. the reason given is they did not have the data. we should not be in a situation in this country that we are in, that social care does not have all shared the data between health and education. the data between health and education-— the data between health and education. ~ , �* , ., education. why didn't they have the data? whose _ education. why didn't they have the data? whose fault _ education. why didn't they have the data? whose fault is _ education. why didn't they have the data? whose fault is that? -

education. why didn't they have the data? whose fault is that? i - education. why didn't they have the data? whose fault is that? i have i data? whose fault is that? i have consistently _ data? whose fault is that? i have consistently with _ data? whose fault is that? i have consistently with secretaries - data? whose fault is that? i have consistently with secretaries of i consistently with secretaries of state said we need a unique identifier and proper data sharing, because when children leave the area is the data does not necessarily follow them automatically. systems can be put in place nationally and should be put in place. there is a children's well—being bill being put forward by the government entered the manifesto they agreed with me and said we should have a unique identifier and proper data systems for sharing between services. i really must see that in the new children's well—being bill being brought in. children's well-being bill being brou:ht in. ., children's well-being bill being brouht in. ., ., ~ children's well-being bill being brought in-_ brought in. you talked about s-ueakin brought in. you talked about speaking to _ brought in. you talked about speaking to secretaries - brought in. you talked about speaking to secretaries of i brought in. you talked about i speaking to secretaries of state brought in. you talked about - speaking to secretaries of state and tracing the idea of a unique identifying number, how many years have you been raising that and temporary of state had the chance to introduce it? i temporary of state had the chance to introduce it?— introduce it? i have been my role since 2021 _ introduce it? i have been my role since 2021 and _ introduce it? i have been my role since 2021 and have _ introduce it? i have been my role since 2021 and have raised - introduce it? i have been my role since 2021 and have raised it -

introduce it? i have been my rolej since 2021 and have raised it with single one, i started raising since 2021 and have raised it with single one, istarted raising it since 2021 and have raised it with single one, i started raising it in context with attendance and the children who went missing from the attendance roles, i think five secretaries of state. labour has put this in the manifesto, i'm pleased to see that, now the challenge to this government, the secretary of state, it's we need proper data—sharing, a unique identifier, we need to be in this century, using the tech of the century, to keep these children safe. the second thing in this case which just shouts out is basically when a school recognise that she had bruises and was at serious risk and talk to social care, the father took her out of school and home educated her. we must have a home education register, we don't have one now. every secretary of state since i have been in this role, i have pushed on to say you must have a home register. what this government is saying is they will have one and it will be

they will have one and it will be the children's well—being bill. i want to see that, that must happen. but in the children and well—being bill it must say that if a child is suspected of abuse they cannot be educated at home. being at school as a safeguard and they are safer under the eyes of teachers. you learn at school but you are safe and so much more. we cannot let a child at risk of the very people meant to care for her at home be educated at home, thatis her at home be educated at home, that is madness, that is the second thing i want to see. and there is more. �* , thing i want to see. and there is more. d , thing i want to see. and there is more. i , ., thing i want to see. and there is more. �*, ., ,. more. let's focus on home-schooling, ou sa more. let's focus on home-schooling, you say even — more. let's focus on home-schooling, you say even the _ more. let's focus on home-schooling, you say even the suspicion _ more. let's focus on home-schooling, you say even the suspicion of- more. let's focus on home-schooling, you say even the suspicion of abuse i you say even the suspicion of abuse should be reason to veto a kid being taken out of school to be home—schooled, just the suspicion? yes because, frankly, it is your legal right as a parent to help educate and there are many people who help educate very well. i don't want to get in the way, they are fantastic. but if there is suspicion

of abuse or harm to a child and they have to go to school, school is a good place to be anyway, any child should be able to go to school until it is resolved. it is just a safeguard and it must be put into place. i think now it is time we do this, we have to recognise we are in the 21st century, in so close, urfan sharif, when he called the police, search, i have legally published my daughter and she is dead. it turns my blood to cold —— said, i have legally punished my child. it turned my blood, but somebody thinks you can legally punish a child can then be dead. in assault laws there is a clause allowing reasonable chastisement of children meaning they have less protection from the south barn animals or adults, that clause must be removed, it came into place in the 19th century when a

child through beating them and they put the reasonable chastisement in protect children. it is time for that to go. protect children. it is time for that to go-_ that to go. that would be 'ust symbolic, �* that to go. that would be 'ust symbolic, r i that to go. that would be 'ust symbolic, i don't i that to go. that would be 'ust symbolic, i don't think i that to go. that would be just symbolic, i don't think child l symbolic, i don't think child murderers are studying old legislation? i murderers are studying old legislation?— murderers are studying old legislation? murderers are studying old leaislation? ., , ~ murderers are studying old leaislation? . , ~ , legislation? i actually think it is a sli -e legislation? i actually think it is a slippery slope _ legislation? i actually think it is a slippery slope and _ legislation? i actually think it is a slippery slope and he - legislation? i actually think it is a slippery slope and he actually used those words, i have legally... legally disciplines my child. it goes around, if it stops someone going down a slippery slope i think it is really, really important. it might not have, but it might have helped and it might have change the narrative. as a former head teacher 20 is your —— 20 years, i would have parent so my child is misbehaving, will you beat them? i would say absolutely not and they would say

they would do it at home. sometimes those are children with disabilities and special educational needs, this is a far more prevalent view that you would imagine and we have to deal with that. there are three things immediately and on top of that... what these things underpin its professionals need to be working together, sharing information and if in any doubt the child's safety must come first. i5 in any doubt the child's safety must come first. , ., , ., ., come first. is there a question of resources? _ come first. is there a question of resources? local— come first. is there a question of resources? local authorities - resources? local authorities have had budgets squeezed. just more money need to go into this? i will always argue for more money for children in particularfor safeguarding children. but what i have to say is i have given government a job here about some of the levers they need to pull to keep children safe. council