MPs have expressed their shock at reports of the racially motivated rape of a 20-year-old Sikh woman, said to have occurred in broad daylight.
Detectives are looking for two white male suspects alleged to have racially abused the woman during the assault – they believe one suspect had a shaved head and wore gloves.
The incident is alleged to have taken place on Tuesday morning in Oldbury, close to Birmingham. A Sikh community group said it had spoken to the woman and her family and that the words the attackers said were: “You don’t belong in this country, get out.”
Police confirmed it was being treated as a racially aggravated attack and isolated incident.
The attack took place off Tame Road, a short distance from the constituency office of Gurinder Singh Josan, MP for Smethwick.
The MP said: “I understand the strength of feeling within the community this attack has generated. The community needs to allow the police to progress with the investigation.”
Sarah Coombes, MP for West Bromwich including Oldbury, said the incident was “absolutely horrible”, adding that such “violence and hatred has no place in our society”.
MP for Birmingham Edgbaston Preet Kaur Gill said she was deeply shocked by the attack and that constituents had been contacting her to express their fear.
Gill 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.
“The rise in overt racism recently is deeply concerning, and I will be working with West Midlands police to ensure everything is being done to catch those responsible and to keep our community safe.”
Jas Athwal, MP for Ilford South, said he knew of people who had become scared for their safety due to an increase in “racist rhetoric” in the UK over the summer,
He said: “Let’s be clear, this attack is a result of the rising racial tensions in our country and now, a young woman has been left traumatised for life.”
The MP said several Ilford South residents had told him they were deeply concerned about the safety of women and girls in the area. He added: “This attack demonstrates the deeply tragic and violent consequences of allowing this rhetoric to seep into mainstream dialogue.
“It ends in brown and black people being verbally attacked, physically assaulted or in this case sexually assaulted – a crime rooted in misogyny and the assertion of power.”
Other Labour MPs who have spoken on the incident include Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, representing Slough, who urged police to “take decisive action to deliver justice”, as well as MP for Westbury and Colesley Antonia Bance.
West Midlands police said on Saturday that officers were continuing to investigate the case, with a number of positive lines of enquiry ongoing.
Ch Supt Kim Madill, who leads local policing in the Sandwell area, said on Friday: “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.”
Police said anyone with information could contact them via 101 quoting log 798 of 9 September.
