'Called a P**i Bi**h, Followed Home': Sikh Woman Raped in UK's West Midlands

This is the second incident involving rape of a Sikh woman in the West Midlands in less than two months.

The accused seen in CCTV footage on Saturday, 25 October. 

(Photo: West Midlands Police)

(Trigger warning: Description of rape and assault.)

"She was called a P**i bi**h. The accused followed her home, broke her door down, and raped her."

In a tragic incident, a 20-year-old Indian-origin woman was raped and assaulted in the UK's West Midlands on the evening of Saturday, 25 October.

While the local police said that the incident was racially aggravated, they did not reveal the ethnicity of the woman. However, Dabinderjit Singh OBE, Lead Executive of the Sikh Federation UK, confirmed to The Quint that the survivor is a Sikh woman studying in Britain.

This is the second "racially aggravated" assault to have taken place in the region in the last two months. A Sikh woman was raped and assaulted in the West Midlands' Oldbury on 9 September, sparking protests by members of the local community.

Survivor Moved To Hotel for Safety

Speaking to The Quint, Singh said that the surviror is a university student who had been living in Walsall, West Midlands.

The tragic incident took place at around 7:15 pm on Saturday, 25 October.

"We have obtained video footage of her being followed on Saturday evening. The accused broke her door down and then assaulted her. The neighbours also heard screams, including racial slurs," he said, adding that the accused was unknown to the survivor.

The video footage, which was recorded by locals, has also been accessed by The Quint. It shows the accused following the survivor. However, it cannot be uploaded as it reveals the survivor's face.

Singh also confirmed that the survivor has been moved to a hotel in the area with the help of the local Sikh community.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands Police put out a statement on Monday, 27 October, saying that a 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape in the early hours of the day from the Perry Barr area.

"This is a significant development in our investigation... As always our priority is the woman who was the subject of this attack. She has been updated this morning and will continue to receive full support from specially trained officers," said Ronan Tyrer from the police's Public Protection Unit.

Following the incident, the police had earlier put out a circular asking members of the public to come forward if they had any information. They also released video footage of the accused obtained via CCTV cameras in the area.

The accused seen near the survivor's home on Saturday, 25 October. 

(Photo: West Midlands Police)

'Police Downplaying Racial Nature of Crimes' 

However, the Sikh Federation alleged that the police have been trying to "downplay" the racial nature of recent assaults, particularly targeting the Sikh community in the UK as well as other ethnic groups.

"As a community we almost always have better information than the police will ever put out. They hide these things—they did it in the Oldbury case. When they first put out a statement on 9 September, they simply said that a woman in her 20s was sexually assaulted. No mention of racial aggravation," Singh told The Quint.

Meanwhile, the federation is working on a briefing that they will send to all Members of Parliament, urging them to take action regarding attacks against the Sikh community in the UK. They are also trying to set up a meeting with the Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford.

"The police has been trying to downplay institutional racism and the racially aggravated nature of these crimes, which can affect anyone of colour. This is not just a sexual crime. There's a racial element to it which makes it even more disgusting."

Dabinderjit Singh, Sikh Federation UK

While two people, a man and a woman, had been arrested in October in connection with the rape and assault of a Sikh woman in Oldbury, they were subsequently released on bail—sparking anger among locals. Another accused had been arrested in connection with the case in September and released as well.

Hate crimes against Sikhs in the UK have seen an uptick over the years. Official data from 2022 revealed that there had been 301 recorded crimes against members of the Sikh community that year, marking a 169 percent rise from the previous year.

(The Quint has reached out to the West Midlands Police in connection with the case as well as the Sikh Federation's allegations. This article will be updated as and when they respond.)