A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the 'racially aggravated' rape of a 20-year-old Indian-origin woman in Walsall in northern England on Saturday evening.
British police said the suspect - described as a white male with short hair and wearing dark clothing - was arrested after a manhunt that began with the release of CCTV footage of the man.
Detective Superintendent Ronan Tyrer, the officer in charge of the case, said the arrest was a 'significant development', particularly after the rape of a British Sikh woman in Oldbury - less than 20km from Walsall - last month. Two suspects - men aged 49 and 65 - were arrested in that case, but have since been released on bail, the British broadcaster BBC said last week.
The young woman was notified of the arrest, DS Tyrer said. "Our investigation will continue to progress, and, as always, our priority is the woman who was the subject of this attack. She has been updated... and will continue to receive full support from specially trained officers."
"At this stage, we are not linking this attack to any others..." he said.
The Sikh Federation UK has said the woman is of Punjabi heritage.
The twin attacks prompted a fierce response from Preet Kaur Gill, a member of the Sikh community and a British Labour and Co-operative MP from the West Midlands region - where these assaults took place, said she was "deeply shocked" to hear about the Walsall rape.
"The repeated pattern of violence against women in our region, compounded by hate and racial overtones, is deeply disturbing," she wrote on X.
Chief Superintendent Phil Dolby of Walsall Police said his team's focus is on supporting the investigators in identifying and arresting the attacker.
"Walsall is a diverse area, and we know the fear and concern that this awful attack will cause in our communities. We have been speaking to people in the community today to listen to and understand their concerns, and there will be an increased policing presence in the coming days," he said.
With input from agencies
