A man has been arrested after a Sikh woman said she had been left “deeply affected” by what police are treating as a racially motivated rape in the West Midlands.
The woman, described as a British-born Sikh in her 20s, told police a racist remark was made to her during the assault in the Tame Road area of Oldbury on Tuesday morning.
The perpetrators allegedly told her: “You don’t belong in this country, get out,” as they attacked her between 8am and 8.30am, according to the Sikh Federation (UK).
West Midlands police said on Sunday evening that a man in his 30s had been detained as part of inquiries into the assault. He remains in custody on suspicion of rape. The woman is continuing to receive support as the investigation continues.
In a statement released through the Sikh Federation, the victim expressed her gratitude to her community. “I want to sincerely thank everyone for supporting me and my family during this very difficult time,” she said. “We are going through a lot, but the strength and kindness shown by the right people in the community has been incredible, and I can’t thank them enough for being my voice.
“I would never wish this on anyone. All I was doing was going about my day on my way to work, and what has happened has deeply affected us. Through it all, my family has been my rock, and my community has stood strong beside me.
“The police are doing their best to find those responsible and I truly hope they are caught so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Ch Supt Kim Madill, of West Midlands police, described the arrest as a “significant development in the investigation”. She said: “We want to thank the community for their continuing support. The investigation remains ongoing and we would urge people not to speculate as we work to identify and trace all those who may have been involved.”
Police previously said they were looking for two white men in connection with the attack. The first was described as having a shaved head and a heavy build, wearing a dark sweatshirt with gloves. The second was said to be wearing a grey top with a silver zip.
Local MPs expressed their shock after initial reports of the attack. Sarah Coombes, Labour’s MP for West Bromwich, which includes Oldbury, said the incident was “absolutely horrible”, adding that such “violence and hatred has no place in our society”.
Gurinder Singh Josan, the Labour MP for Smethwick, previously said the “truly horrific attack” was being treated as a hate crime, while Preet Kaur Gill, the Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, said she had been contacted by concerned constituents. She said: “Our Sikh community and every community has the right to feel safe, respected and valued. Racism and misogyny have no place in Oldbury, or anywhere in Britain.”
