How could we have let Sara down so badly?

This case brought tears to my eyes. Sara lived 5 minutes walk from where I live. I am embarrassed to say that I worked until retirement as an administrator for Surrey County Council Child Protection department. I cannot understand how this was allowed to happen.

Someone should spray paint Lessons will be learnt (again)
RIP..Sara..
right across the front of the social services building..so they can see it when they walk into work, to do what ever it is they call work every day..

I was listening to Jeremy vine this morning who had an English man teaching in Germany, where apparently home schooling is not allowed. Perhaps that would have saved poor Sara. I read that her birth mother had tried to drown her, and that she was on an at risk register before she was even born. That worked well then. I find it impossible to understand how anyone could abuse a child like Sara was. Utter monsters. I can only hope that there is some retribution from other prisoners.

Quite easily. Some years ago, one of my Y10 students (in care) told me about some of her 'friends' and I gathered she was being exploited sexually. I reported my worries to her social worker and she shrugged and said she could do nothing as her lifestyle was her choice!

Primrose53

Witzend

TBH I can’t help thinking that the failure of SS to check on Sara - properly! - was very likely down -yet again - to the fear of accusations of racism towards a brown person, perhaps especially if they are also Muslim.

I doubt they’d ever admit it, though - the excuse is always that they’re sorely overstretched. Which I’m sure is true, but you’d have thought that in Sara’s case there were multiple red flags screaming for attention.

I agree with you. Just like the security guard at Manchester arena who noticed the non white man acting suspiciously carrying a rucksack but dare not report him in case he was called a racist.

I believe he did report it but the poorly qualified and poorly paid staff weren't interested. I will research this later. Please stop.

Jeanathome

Please please show some respect and do not let this absolute tragedy be about colour or religion. They aren't Muslims, they are psychopaths.

Hear hear.

I don't think it's a race issue here. I think it's one very, very sick evil man and wife who could manipulate the system and poor Sara. Just as in the case of poor little Alfie Steele

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/26/alfie-steele-more-than-60-calls-made-to-police-and-social-services-before-murder

I'm not saying there is never an issue with over cautious reporting, ever, but not in this case.

Please please show some respect and do not let this absolute tragedy be about colour or religion. They aren't Muslims, they are psychopaths.

Gilly

Witzend

TBH I can’t help thinking that the failure of SS to check on Sara - properly! - was very likely down -yet again - to the fear of accusations of racism towards a brown person, perhaps especially if they are also Muslim.

I doubt they’d ever admit it, though - the excuse is always that they’re sorely overstretched. Which I’m sure is true, but you’d have thought that in Sara’s case there were multiple red flags screaming for attention.

I agree with you. Just like the security guard at Manchester arena who noticed the non white man acting suspiciously carrying a rucksack but dare not report him in case he was called a racist.

Everyone needs to take responsibility for what is going on around them. Reporting can surely be anonymous .
There's too much turning a blind eye.
My Mother physically and mentally abused me as a small child. She even showed a neighbour who actually was a District Nurse, the scars she had inflicted on me with a metal toasting fork beating, all because I got new socks dirty.
That Nurse told her I could be taken away, but did nothing to help me.
This poor child would have been terrified all her life. All those who had dealings with her, should hang their heads in shame.

Lolly67

I too read the sickening violence towards this poor little girl what breeds monsters like this I really don't understand it I'm sure many will disagree but animals like this deserve more than the courts are allowed to give them then it will be his human right to have a mobile phone sky TV because it will affect his mental health 😡I hope somone disposes of this piece of human garbage ASAP while he is in prison the stepmother is no better either

Couldn’t agree more. Unbelievable scum.

I too read the sickening violence towards this poor little girl what breeds monsters like this I really don't understand it I'm sure many will disagree but animals like this deserve more than the courts are allowed to give them then it will be his human right to have a mobile phone sky TV because it will affect his mental health 😡I hope somone disposes of this piece of human garbage ASAP while he is in prison the stepmother is no better either

I was addressing Rowyn

It's not 'we' who are responsible but the criminal perpetrators and the underfunding of social services which has led to a harrassed, undertrained and undermanned service with managers who have to seek the cheapest option everyday. Prevention will only improve when local authorities are properly funded after years of Tory cuts.

What on earth are you talking about?

TBH I can’t help thinking that the failure of SS to check on Sara - properly! - was very likely down -yet again - to the fear of accusations of racism towards a brown person, perhaps especially if they are also Muslim.

I doubt they’d ever admit it, though - the excuse is always that they’re sorely overstretched. Which I’m sure is true, but you’d have thought that in Sara’s case there were multiple red flags screaming for attention.

I really hope these evil people have a miserable time in prison and they both die there.

I despair of a system where Sara's teachers reported their concerns but were ignored!

Let's face it. This country has become so 'WOKE' that practically everyone is afraid to take any action which might result in them being accused of being racist.
Far too many people are eager to jump on the wagon and join in the accusations and damnations often when they have no knowledge of the facts... and far too many people are ready to whip up an outcry when they too don't know the truth.
So the real villains get away with murder.
Isn't it time we got rid of 'Wokeness'?

About children being home schooled and new regulations to be brought in because of these events:

".......It comes as the government said it would introduce a new duty so that parents need local authority consent to home-school children if the child is subject to a protection plan

Speaking earlier, Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, said it was "madness" that the law currently allows parents to take a child out of school, even if concerns had already been raised.

The new proposals would include a child identifier, to act like an NHS number, with a requirement for every council to have multi-agency child safeguarding teams

“About 111,700 children were in home education in England on census day in autumn 2024, according to government data.

Dame Rachel said the bill should introduce a register of all children being educated at home, which does not currently exist

(The article also refers to future plans for a Children's Wellbeing Bill)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn8lp30ydo

Personal experience:

Austerity and cuts to social services has led to over-work and under provivision

During Covid no one monitored newborns or toddlers

Calls to social services are not appreciated, even if they intervene family members who alerted them in the first place are not only ignored but given no feedback or recognition

Manipulative people find the statutary services easy to manipulate- especially if they use the victim card which isn't questioned

Family courts are a shambles and not fit for purpose. Cafass hold all the cards and judges listen only to their recommendations, and to no one else.

People lose faith in social services and so conceal information because they don't know if it will be used against them

No one acts in the interests of the child

Home schooling is un-regulated. Once a child is off-roll no one checks (in my previous LA it was a once a year form) and is often used as a cover for abuse and neglect

These lessons I have learned from bitter experience. It is horrific when cases like this come to light but this is only the tip of the ice-berg.

No one cares about the kids anymore and no amount of handwringing will change that.

How can people who work in safeguarding be ill trained in it???

Can we firstly identify that it was the parents who let her down? Too often we jump in and cast blame on the authorities who are understaffed, ill trained in safeguarding and also frightened to enter certain homes to deal with issues.
As a retired teacher and the mother of a professional social worker I recognise these issues. Covid and lockdown did not help neither does the lack of inspection of children being home schooled. The father was a monster, no doubt, but he was clever, manipulative and believable. Hence the judge giving him custody.
We all have a duty of care to each other as friends, neighbours, families. We can ALL do better in keeping an eye on each other

Quite apart from any safeguarding issues, TBH I’ve always wondered how anyone is allowed to home-school, without any checks as to whether the parents are at all competent to do so.

I agree with Jean@home. What the hell were the neighbours doing when all this was going on ! Don’t tell me they heard nothing