Rewards totalling up to £30,000 now on offer over ‘racially-motivated’ rape

Rewards totalling up to £30,000 have been offered by Crimestoppers and the Sikh community for information leading to conviction of those responsible for the “racially-motivated” rape of a woman in the West Midlands.

Crimestoppers, which is independent of the police, is offering up to £20,000 exclusively for information passed directly to the charity while a separate reward of £10,000 has been organised by the Sikh Federation UK.

Police have said their investigation continues at pace following the attack on a woman in her 20s in the Tame Road area of Oldbury shortly before 8.30am on Tuesday September 9.

Sandwell area policing commander Chief Superintendent Kim Madill said: “We are determined to find answers, and with the public’s help we believe we can.

“This young woman is at the heart of our inquiries and we continue to support her and keep her updated on developments.

“We again appeal to anyone who was in the area who may have seen two white men around the time of 8.30am. One had a shaved head and a heavy build, and was reported to be wearing a dark coloured sweatshirt and had gloves on. The second man was reportedly wearing a grey top with a silver zip.

“To date, specialist detectives have examined hundreds of hours of CCTV, our forensic specialists are also carrying out extensive inquiries and these will continue as part of the investigation.

“We are working closely with key partners and keeping them as updated as we can.”

Alan Edwards, West Midlands regional manager at Crimestoppers, said: “We know that this attack has caused worry and concern for local people.

“We believe someone out there knows something and we want to encourage them to come forward anonymously. The reward is offered to prompt anyone with information to speak up, no matter how small the detail.”

Anyone with information about those responsible is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online via the Crimestoppers website.

No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded, and people will not have to attend court, the charity said.

The reward of up to £20,000 is available exclusively for information passed directly to Crimestoppers.

Crimestoppers says it guarantees complete anonymity, meaning that people who call or contact them online can pass on what they know without ever giving any personal details. Computer IP addresses are never traced, telephone calls are never recorded, there is no caller line display and no 1471 facility.

The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police, while a reward code must be asked for when calling the charity, it said.

The Sikh Federation UK said its reward was being offered alongside a community poster campaign urging members of the public with dash cam, CCTV and doorbell camera footage to contact West Midlands Police.

A statement issued by the federation said: “The Sikh community has in response now put out its own appeal and put up a reward of £10,000 for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of the two men involved.

“Sikh media are also carrying the appeal and information about the reward on community television.”