AN INQUIRY into the death of murdered 10-year-old Sara Sharif has been postponed until next year, a coroner has announced.
Senior coroner for Surrey Richard Travers set a date of April 5, 2027, at a preliminary hearing earlier, the BBC reported.
Sara's father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, were given life sentences in December 2024 for killing the girl, whose body was discovered at the family home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023. Sharif was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years, while Batool received a minimum of 33 years.
Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment for causing or allowing her death.
According to reports, the 10-year-old had suffered violent abuse in a "campaign of torture" lasting two years. A post-mortem examination found dozens of injuries on her body, including bite marks, an iron burn and scalding from hot water.
At the hearing, Batool asked if she could give evidence at the inquest.
"I am aware this can't overturn my conviction," she said via video link from prison. "I am not seeking to do that, but my voice was not heard in the criminal trial."
Travers said Batool would only be permitted to give evidence if it is "relevant" to the inquiry.
"If you wanted to put a statement together, I wouldn't stop you doing that," he was quoted as saying.
Matthew Turner, representing Sara's mother, Olga Domin, said the pair "would have the right to ask questions".
Alison Mitchell, counsel to the inquest, said the scope of the inquiry was still being discussed.
She said it may include examining what was known about the risk of violence to Sara from birth until she was placed with her father and stepmother in 2019. It may also look at how children's services managed that risk and the decisions around her placement with her father.
Other areas could include what happened to Sara in her final months, her cause of death and whether any fear of accusations of racism affected anyone's response to her case.
The inquiry may also examine why adoption was considered and rejected, what the plan was for monitoring Sara after 2019 and why that monitoring stopped, the report added.
It could also look at reports of injuries seen by her school and whether the school and children's services could have done more, along with the school's concerns about the stepmother's behaviour towards the children.
Applications for home schooling made by Urfan Sharif in 2022 and 2023 and the response to those requests may also be examined.
A review previously found that Surrey County Council tried to check on Sara the day before she was murdered, but visited the wrong house. The local authority apologised and said it had taken "robust action" to address the review's findings.
Services in Surrey failed to identify that Sara was at risk of abuse and did not question unexplained bruising, the review found.
"The system failed to keep her safe," the review concluded.
The BBC report added that the next pre-inquest hearing will take place on May 1.
