LONDON: A man has been arrested on suspicion of rape after a British Sikh woman was physically attacked and raped in Oldbury last week. Police are describing the rape as “racially motivated”.West Midlands police arrested a man, aged in his 30s, on Sunday night. He remains in custody.The woman, in her 20s, told police she was raped and beaten between 8am and 8.30am on Sept 9 in Thame Road and that the two male white perpetrators shouted at her: “You don’t belong in this country, get out.”The Sikh woman, in a statement issued through Sikh Youth UK, said: “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.”Sandwell police chief superintendent Kim Madill said: “This is a significant development in the investigation which remains on-going.”The rape has triggered huge concern and fear among the Sikh community, who feel anti-Sikh hate crimes are not being treated with utmost seriousness by the British govt.The UK Gurdwara Alliance sent a letter to home secretary Shabana Mahmood which states: “Silence from you and the home office following the racist sexual attack last Tuesday is unacceptable. We need you to show public solidarity with the victim and the Sikh community. Most Sikhs are visibly identifiable by our articles of faith and appearance and have been vulnerable worldwide since 9/11.”Responding to a question in the House of Commons on Monday, Mahmood said: “The horror of a sexual assault motivated by race or ethnicity is absolutely appalling. I’m sure the whole House will join me in condemning such crimes in the strongest possible terms. This govt will not stand for any incitement to racial hatred or violence and it is imperative, and I think incumbent, on all members of the House to make sure we all jointly, collectively hold that line.”Dabinderjit Singh, lead executive for political engagement at Sikh Federation (UK), said: “We hope the other man will also be arrested, charged and prosecutions will quickly follow for this vile crime.”
