“The murder of Sara Sharif represents yet another in a long line of tragedies that have marked our national consciousness, where children have suffered appalling violence at the hands of those supposed to love and care for them, and the safeguards put in place by society around them have failed to prevent harm.
“Serious case reviews often feature examples of missed opportunities to protect children and there will be lessons to be learnt from this harrowing case. But there are immediate policy steps we can take to lessen the risk potentially faced by children at risk of violence and abuse.
“The key ingredient in the safeguarding of children is that they are seen and heard, no matter where they are. Coram has called for a register of all home-schooled children as a minimum. More children in home schooling means more children out of sight of the authorities and heightens the risk that instances of harm and opportunities for vital support will be missed.
“And a change to the law on smacking is long overdue. There is no legitimate argument to maintain lesser protection in law from assault for children than is afforded to every other citizen. We call on the government to take this forward as a matter of urgency – and there is no better opportunity than to do so in the imminent Children’s Wellbeing Bill.”
Dr Carol Homden, CEO Coram