Three workers from Surrey County Council have lost their request to remain anonymous during the upcoming inquest into the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, whose murder in 2023 shocked the nation. Sara was found dead in a bunk bed at her family home in Woking, Surrey, in August 2023. Her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, were later sentenced to life in prison in December 2023 after being found guilty of her murder at the Old Bailey. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was also convicted of causing or allowing her death and received a 16-year sentence. Concerns about Sara’s welfare were raised as early as 2010, when her parents were known to social services. A detailed review of the case last year concluded that multiple opportunities to protect Sara were missed by various agencies, including police, health, social care, and education. The review found that Sara had been subjected to domestic abuse from birth and was "failed by the safeguarding system." In a recent pre-inquest review hearing, three Surrey County Council employees sought anonymity to prevent their identities from being disclosed in the media during the full inquest, which is expected to begin in 2027. Alethea Redfern, acting on behalf of the council, argued that revealing their identities could harm the employees’ health and private lives, potentially leading to them being unable to continue their work. She described the employees as a "valuable resource" to the council. However, senior coroner Richard Travers rejected all three applications for anonymity. In his decision, he stated that he had carefully reviewed the evidence and legal principles, and concluded that granting anonymity was not justified under common law or by balancing the employees' rights to privacy (Article 8) against the media’s right to freedom of expression (Article 10) and the principle of open justice. The full inquest is expected to begin in October 2027, with the coroner previously ordering the council to release 24,606 documents related to Sara’s siblings.