West Midlands police are treating the alleged rape of a Sikh woman in Oldbury as a hate crime, after the victim reported being racially abused during the assault. Detectives are hunting for two white male suspects who are believed to have targeted the woman in broad daylight.
The incident took place just before 8.30am on Tuesday around Tame Road in Oldbury, close to Birmingham. The woman, who is in her 20s, told police that a racist remark was made to her during the attack. One suspect is described as having a shaved head, a heavy build, and was wearing a dark-coloured sweatshirt and gloves. The second man was reportedly wearing a grey top with a silver zip.
Ch Supt Kim Madill, who leads local policing in the Sandwell area, said: “We are working really hard to identify those responsible, with CCTV, forensic and other inquiries well under way. We fully understand the anger and worry that this has caused, and I am speaking to people in the community today to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to identify and arrest those responsible. Incidents like this are incredibly rare, but people can expect to see extra patrols in the area.”
A Sikh community group said it had spoken to the woman and her family and that the words the attackers used were: “You don’t belong in this country, get out.” Dabinderjit Singh, of the Sikh Federation UK, criticised politicians for failing to publicly condemn the attack, saying: “The current racist political environment is driven by populism and created by politicians playing the ‘anti-immigration card’.” Sikh Youth UK urged the community to remain vigilant.
Police are urging anyone with information to contact them via 101 quoting log 798 of 9 September. The attack has caused fear and anger among local Sikhs, and extra patrols have been deployed in the area.
