West Midlands Police are investigating an alleged racially aggravated sexual assault after a British-born Sikh woman in her 20s was reportedly beaten and raped while on her way to work in Oldbury, West Midlands.
The force said the attack took place between about 8am and 8:30am on September 9 in the Tame Road area and is being treated as an isolated, racially motivated incident. Officers are seeking two white men in connection with the assault and have asked anyone with information to contact police via 101, quoting log 798 or 9 September.
In a statement released through the Sikh Federation (UK), the victim said she was "truly humbled" by community support and thanked people for standing with her and her family as they try to process the incident. "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," she said. "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."
The Sikh Federation (UK) described the assault as a "brutal racist and sexual attack," saying the perpetrators told the woman during the incident, "you don't belong in this country, get out." Local MP Gurinder Singh Josan said the attack was being treated as a hate crime because of a racial remark made to the victim, and that police were employing CCTV analysis, forensic work and other enquiries to locate the suspects.
West Midlands Police have provided descriptions of two men they wish to speak to. The first is described as having a shaved head, a heavy build, wearing a dark sweatshirt and gloves. The second man was reportedly wearing a grey top with a silver zip. Officers said they understand the anger and worry the incident has caused locally and said they would increase patrols in the area to provide reassurance.
Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday evening in a show of solidarity with the victim. Community members assembled at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick and then travelled in convoy to the area off Tame Road, where an organised demonstration took place. Organisers and faith leaders held an emergency meeting at the gurdwara, and some called on detectives to step up efforts to arrest the suspects quickly.
Kuldeep Singh Deol, the gurdwara's education secretary and an organiser of the demonstration, urged police to make arrests within 48 hours, saying the attack was "shameful" and that women in the community must be safe. Jas Singh, principal adviser to the Sikh Federation (UK), expressed concern about a wider climate of hatred and said Sikhs are often targeted because of their distinct identity.
Local residents at the meeting described shock and distress. One woman in her 30s broke down in tears and described the assault as a divisive act of racism. Gurinder Singh Josan urged the community to allow police to progress their enquiries and to support the victim at her pace, saying her needs must be paramount.
Police asked anyone who may have seen two white men in the Tame Road area at the time of the attack, or anyone with dash-cam or doorbell footage, to contact West Midlands Police. The force reiterated that enquiries are ongoing and that officers will use all methods at their disposal to try to apprehend those responsible.
The incident has added to concern among British Sikh and other minority communities about racially motivated attacks. Community leaders and elected officials said detectives must pursue the case thoroughly and sensitively while investigators balance forensic and witness-based work with support for the victim.