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Original poster

Racially aggravated rapes and attacks in Midlands

35 replies

ArabellaSaurus · 02/11/2025 10:46

Disturbing news.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxkw014rg9o

'...several Asian women in the West Midlands [...] tell the BBC they're now constantly looking over their shoulder. ...
That's because within the space of two months and taking place only 10 miles (16km) apart, police have received reports of two racially aggravated rapes.
Early on 9 September, a Sikh woman in her 20s was raped on Tame Road in Oldbury.
And on the evening of 25 October in the Park Hall area of Walsall, another Sikh woman who is also in her 20s was raped. A 32-year-old man named John Ashby has been charged.
In both cases perpetrators were unknown to their victims.
Another woman was assaulted with an electrical stun device in Wolverhampton on 27 October in what police said was a racially aggravated physical - but not sexual - assault.'

A woman in a black sweater stands behind a counter and looks at the camera. A gold telephone, two cards and a white plant are on the desk. Two gold letters - 'r' and 'p' are hung up on the wall alongside a certificate.

West Midlands: Women afraid to be out in public after racially aggravated rapes

Asian women speak of their safety fears after incidents in Oldbury and Walsall.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxkw014rg9o

OP posts:
ITSJLS · 03/11/2025 12:23

After reading all the disgusting Huntingdon threads, I find it fascinating that there is just one thread with only 9 replies about this rape attack - which was reported in the news a week ago. So so fascinating.

LongOutBreath · 03/11/2025 09:36

I think there's a difficult tension in the reporting of certain types of violent crime and I'm not sure how it ought to be balanced. On the one hand the unbiased reporting of information is vital for a democratic country (not that many of our media sources actually manage to be unbiased often) and the data ought to be used by the police; on the other hand sometimes the style of reporting certain crimes seems to play into the desires of the violent perpetrators themselves. This is especially apparent where motives get extensive coverage, therefore fulfilling the aim of the violent man in the first place: to strike terror into, punish and inhibit the lives of the target group.

Racists, incels, religious fundamentalists etc do we actually want to help them spread their hate further? I wish simply "rapist" and "murderer" were sufficient AND that they were treated as the catastrophic crimes they actually are.

IwantToRetire · 02/11/2025 22:02

I have been wondering without in any way minimising the horror and fear this brings, whether this is about a new way of reporting crimes.

ie in the past there would be a report of rape, but no mention of whether racism was part of the crime.

It should definitely be acknowledged if racism was a factor in an act of sexual violence, but in then publishing news stories with this as part of the headline can increase fear, worry, etc..

It seems that even in the statistics published** they dont record this.

So no way of knowing it is is an increase.

But I certainly feel the use of racist language and hate speech from some sections of UK society has allowed some people who might not have been public about their attitudes, fell they can now say and act on it.

** Someone made an FOI request https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/sexualviolenceintheukbyethnicity

Sexual violence in the UK by ethnicity - Office for National Statistics

https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/sexualviolenceintheukbyethnicity

Original poster
ArabellaSaurus · 02/11/2025 12:32

NumbFeeling · 02/11/2025 11:07

This is absolutely awful, and unfortunately I think is the start of something very nasty.

The whole country is on the tipping point of blowing up from all sides and will end up pitted against each other. I think it’s only a matter of time unfortunately before we see more violence from extreme white groups against minorities.

The government need to get a grip of things and bring the temperature down before things get further out of hand.

Agree, although I'll point out the violence is not restricted to white groups.

There are various factions and fractures as well as racial ones. The establishment trying to deny or minimise issues is only fuelling the fires.

OP posts:
Original poster
ArabellaSaurus · 02/11/2025 12:28

Holluschickie · 02/11/2025 11:00

Such a polarised world and it's always women who bear the brunt. A tale as old as time. 😪
I know that's not very original.

Well, unfortunately it's a well worn trueism because it's true.

OP posts:
WarriorN · 02/11/2025 12:05

This is absolutely horrific. I’m so concerned about what may happen over the next few years

NumbFeeling · 02/11/2025 11:07

This is absolutely awful, and unfortunately I think is the start of something very nasty.

The whole country is on the tipping point of blowing up from all sides and will end up pitted against each other. I think it’s only a matter of time unfortunately before we see more violence from extreme white groups against minorities.

The government need to get a grip of things and bring the temperature down before things get further out of hand.

Holluschickie · 02/11/2025 11:00

Such a polarised world and it's always women who bear the brunt. A tale as old as time. 😪
I know that's not very original.

PrawnofthePatriarchy · 02/11/2025 10:56

So scary. Outrageous!

Holluschickie · 02/11/2025 10:47

As an Asian woman with a young DD, this terrifies me. Feel safe enough in London, but wary outside it.