My Statement on the Attack in Walsall on 25 October 2025

All of us in Walsall were shocked to hear of the vicious attack on a young woman from our community in October and my thoughts and prayers are with the survivor and her family and friends.

It is all the more shocking as it came after a vicious attack on 9 September 2025 in Oldbury on another young woman. 

I was invited to visit the Guru Nanak Gurdwara on 14 September 2025 to speak to the congregation and meet the General Secretary and trustees about the increase in hate crime generally and more specifically on the Sikh community. 

Following the meeting, I wrote to the Home Secretary, Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP and the Minister for Security, Dan Jarvis MP on 17 September 2025 to request for an extension of funding for protective security for places of worship to Gurdwaras who were previously refused funding for protective measures.

I met with the Minister for Security, Dan Jarvis MP on 21 October 2025. I suggested there needs to be a joined up response as the Home Office is dealing with one aspect, and Communities and Local Government are dealing with another, community cohesion and I suggested to the Minister that this could be coordinated by the Cabinet Office so that the issue does not fall between two departments. The Minister said he would take that away and see what can be done. The Places of Worship Scheme is open for applications to the fund for protective measures. 

On Tuesday 4 November 2025 I attended a roundtable meeting with the Minister for Policing and Crime, Sarah Jones MP, (main picture) to discuss the racism affecting all our communities who feel under threat. The Minister heard from MPs about our own experiences and the threats women and girls are facing. 

Information:

Gurdwaras in the West Midlands have come together to fund and distribute rape alarms. Please contact your local Gurdwara to request one if you need it. 

The Police have provided the following resources to help report major incidents and safety concerns:

The Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP)- lists active investigations in the West Midlands area and allows you to share any information that may assist the Police in one of these investigations. Under ‘Areas’, click on West Midlands Police to submit information, including photos and videos: https://mipp.police.uk/ 

If you have any safety concerns in public places, you can report these areas on the national StreetSafe website: https://www.streetsafetool.com, which allows you to anonymously report issues like poorly lit streets, abandoned buildings, or vandalism, as well as instances where you feel unsafe due to someone following or verbally abusing you.

If you are witnessing a life in danger or a crime is in progress, always dial 999.

In my view it was owing to the CCTV shared by the public as many of you have seen it that the perpetrator was found and charged. I would like to thank the Police for their work in apprehending and enabling the perpetrator to be charged with a series of offences so quickly after the crimes were committed.  

The survivors and the community know that the whole community supports them.