How could we have let Sara down so badly?

I'm hoping the duty of care stretches to ensure they have no contact with anybody who might harm them.

One less criminal for the state to pay for, there is nothing to say deterrence does not work. No 3 meals a day and a play-station. Bread and water might just be enough once a day.
Capital punishment means the perpetrator will never kill again. Life in the US can mean life with no parole and solitary for the most heinous crime. Consequentialist approaches do create a happier society particularly where children are vulnerable. Even criminals are not sympathetic to child killers. Agree that safeguarding is important and to tackle the causes of injustices. Austerity and cut backs won't help. In fact building more prisons is not the answer. More police, doctors and "case dedicated" social workers will help.

There is just so much wrong with all of this. The school, what were they thinking? They knew and reported it and forgot about it? How many millions of pounds have been spent on safeguarding courses.
The neighbours hearing that day after day. What is wrong with these people? The extended family who did nothing.
Social Services?

Once a child is taken out of school and off the register the school ceases to have responsibility for that child. Nearly 500 children known to agencies were killed or seriously abused in a year, clearly there are huge problems in how our society protects vulnerable children which need addressing. This is sadly not a one off case.

I do think there should be a statutory requirement for all children home schooled to be seen at least once a year and assessed.

It is quite unusual though. I am aware of numerous cases where people failed to act, where injuries were missed, where social care were involved and the decision making was questionable, I am not aware of many cases where custody was given to a man with a history of violence against women.

I am quite sure the teachers involved with Sara did not forget about it, but the Headteacher had the authority to raise concerns about homeschooling, increasingly used as a method of removing children at risk from closer observation. This she did not do. She is as culpable as the leader of the team from social services who decided to close the case investigating the referral about the bruising after six days, with no further action recommended.

I believed girls at primary school were not allowed to wear the hijab but this may have changed. I also wonder if she participated in PE lessons, if she changed for them and if her movements were restricted by the many injuries she had received. Children refusing to change and presenting frequent sick notes are potentially an indication of possible abuse.
The issue of home schooling has been of concern for some years, usually indicating a desire of the family to hide something. It is impossible for a teacher to investigate, but Heads are in a position to raise concerns, but these are resolutely ignored, as is the quality of the education the child receives.
Since Covid the number of children' educated' at home has increased beyond belief, and I wonder what will happen when these children are of an age to work and lack the basic skills to do so. This refers to children from homes like Sara; not necessarily all abused but certainly neglected.

I fear under the unrelenting pressure of obtaining certain grades, the caring and common sense aspect of Primary education has been swamped. The staff keeping an eye on, getting a feeling all is not well and so on. These people are now running around making sure every child is performing. A school nurse? No more.

That poor , poor little girl was being abused horribly and a headscarf should be no excuse for not acting.

I agree with easybee
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when the Head Teacher on the BBC news last night described Sara as a happy little girl, always singing.
How could she have said that? Of course the child wasn’t happy. The school had seen bruises and reported them, and were then told to keep an eye on the poor little girl.
Did they kick up a fuss when straight after that she was removed for home schooling?

Was everyone concerned with this case reluctant to take charge of the situation for fear of being accused of racism?

They’ll probably protect this creep of a man by putting him in isolation. I hope someone does to him what he did to that poor little girl and they ‘accidentally’ leave a connecting door open.

Casdon

A young homeschooled boy died from scurvy in Wales a few years ago, the same conclusion was reached about the need for monitoring of children being homeschooled. Nobody in authority had seen him for years before he died. I doubt any lessons were learned. It probably needs national legislation.

Very sad and shocking.

Nearly 500 children known to agencies were killed or seriously abused in a year

Oh my god - 10 Sara’s dying every week? foxie48 I’m shocked.

I don't think the caring aspect of school has been swamped; staff are aware as they ever were, particularly in the more intimate atmosphere in the primary school. There are staff responsible for child protection and a procedure to follow, which^ is^ followed, Once it leaves the school and reaches social services and /or the police it seems to peter out and nothing is done, as in the case of Sara.
Some years ago the attention focused on arranged marriages; girls would confide in their teachers who would alert the authorities; shortly afterwards the family would move away or disappear without trace.
The overwhelming ideology seems to be, keep them with their families whatever the consequences, and respect different cultural practices even if illegal or discredited in this country.

Not killed, seriously abused and/or killed though. I think the figure was 485. Yes it's shocking.

Anyone who has been brought up in a violent household, as I have and I know some of you have, will know the fear that you endure. No way am I comparing this to Sara. She must have felt that fear a million times over. I was only beaten up by my father once but regularly saw him attack my mother and sister, my sister once until her hair fell out. I cannot imagine the fear Sara felt sitting at school each day (when she was allowed to go) wondering what horrors were waiting at home.

Jeanathome

There is just so much wrong with all of this. The school, what were they thinking? They knew and reported it and forgot about it? How many millions of pounds have been spent on safeguarding courses.
The neighbours hearing that day after day. What is wrong with these people? The extended family who did nothing.
Social Services?

The school reported bruises and it was investigated but no further action was taken.

Then Sara was "home schooled" - 🤬 so the school would have had no further contact.
Obviously the evil monsters were worried in case the school noticed more as the abuse became worse.

I don't think blame can be attributed to the school.
Social Services and the police have some hard questions to answer.

How are we still letting down children? Why are experienced professionals so ready to believe these parents?

A clean, neat and tidy house does not mean there is no abuse going on elsewhere.
Lessons never are learned.

This is yet another case where the whole issue of home schooling needs to be looked at, it's not the first time it has been used to cover up the abuse and death of a child.

I know others will say it is wonderful fr some children, perhaps but it needs to be regulated and the children need to be seen on a frequent basis.
I don't agree with it. Others might.

Poor little girl, what monsters they all are.
What about the older children in the house, including Sara's older brother? Was he frightened to say anything to anyone or did he think this was the norm?

RIP Sara, your suffering is over. 😥

I hope theirs now begins, that they get whole life sentences and that Uncle gets the maximum sentence for allowing the death of a child.

Casdon

A young homeschooled boy died from scurvy in Wales a few years ago, the same conclusion was reached about the need for monitoring of children being homeschooled. Nobody in authority had seen him for years before he died. I doubt any lessons were learned. It probably needs national legislation.

Yes, that was the other case that immediately came to mind, Casdon.

This..😥😡

It does seem to me Casdon that home schooling may need legislative review, unless the legislation is in place but not being followed as regards oversight of that .home schooling.

Easybee you say, "respect different cultural practices even if illegal or discredited in this country".

Which illegal or discredited practices are you referring to?

Curlywhirly

On the numerous occasions when Sara was being beaten, you would think the neighbours would have heard her screams and the father cursing and shouting. I can't believe the beatings were a quiet affair. If my neighbours children were being attacked I would be hammering on their door and wouldn't hesitate to report it, on several occasions if necessary. Little Sara was let down by everyone, it makes my blood boil.

The neighbour said there were no screams, o shouting.
She sometimes saw Sara in the garden, hanging out the washing and she seemed subdued but no real cause for alarm.

The people to blame are the father, step-mother and uncle.
Social Services have questions to answer too.

Fgm springs to mind.

It was illegal for years before anyone was actually prosecuted for it.

These families are dangerous to children. I don’t have accurate timescales but the decision to home school came soon after what must have been a superficial investigation into facial bruising. That was crucial.

Yes, the school reported the bruising, then Sara was removed from school.
That should have been a red flag to Social Services who had investigated the school's report.

Surely Easybee means ‘All discredited or illegal practices’

It may also be relevant that school described Sara as lively, confident, always smiling.

Thst's another factor, that, amazingly, abused children will still manage to smile.
The recent case of the little boy abused and starved by his mother and her partner showed clips of him laughing.