We are deeply disturbed by recent reports of a man arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated rape in Walsall.

The alleged victim - a woman - was reportedly subjected to an assault that exposes how misogyny and racial hatred so often intersect. Our thoughts and solidarity are with the woman at the centre of this horrific attack.

In recent days and weeks, we have also witnessed:

• Over 300 allegations of racism and misogyny within policing institutions.

• The racially motivated sexual assault of a young Sikh woman in Oldbury - showing, with horrifying clarity, how far-right ideologies are fuelling gendered and racialised violence in public spaces.
  Imkaan Statement on the Impact of Far-Right Targeting of VAWG — Imkaan

Violence against women and girls is rooted in misogyny, but it is strengthened by racism and by systems that continue to protect perpetrators rather than survivors.

Black and minoritised women are too often the most harmed, the least heard, and the least likely to receive justice.

At Imkaan, we continue to demand urgent systemic change across policing, justice, healthcare, and all public institutions — to ensure that misogyny and racism are tackled together, not in isolation.