A Midlands-based charity has said a women it was helping was told by a West Midlands Police officer that "coercive control is normal in Sikh families" and there is nothing they could do to help her.

The incident drew outrage from women's groups and other community organisations.

The claim was made by SWAN Empower, a community based organisation run by Sikh women across Birmingham, Sandwell and Walsall regions. It aims to "tackle the negative impact of cultural influences, and specifically where this influence can lead to the exploitation of women".

On Tuesday it posted this tweet

One of our victims got told by @WMPolice today that coercive control is normal in Sikh families and there is nothing they could do to help her, despite her having independent evidence. They refused to take her statement @LordIndarjit @VictimsComm @jessphillips 🤷🏽‍♀️

— SWAN (@swanempower) January 19, 2021

The account added in response to an Asian woman: "Kay we are seeing this a lot. Victims turned away, statement taken then nothing happens and case closed, sexual abuse cases not taken seriously, child sexual abuse incident which should be taken most seriously offered telephone statement while peodophile walks free. No updates"

Numerous women spoke out in response

Really disappointed to hear this. In 2021 it seems everything is going backwards

— Kiran Sahota (@KizzaKat) January 19, 2021

😱 Yeah, victim blame and normalize generational abuse. We cant change it cause thats the way its always been done. We know it wrong, but if we change it, I might not get to abuse my family too.

— Lahi (@LahilahiH) January 20, 2021

1/2 The first time when I ran away from my family. My father hired a private detective (an apna police officer advised him to). They were able to hunt me down by using my National Insurance. I knew then I couldn’t escape him and I had no one to turn to. https://t.co/7LlKsS2wu1

— KAUR (@Deep5110) January 20, 2021

So much more training is required for the police especially around BAME victims. Comments like this are stereotyping hence BAME services are crucial to be the voice of victims.

— Sahdaish Pall BEM (@sahdaish) January 19, 2021

West Midlands Police said they were looking into the incident.

The charity is already struggling. Last week it emerged that Labour's Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem has cut funding for women's groups to redirect money to victims of hate crime.

SWAN had received £20,000 from the fund last year and will have to lay off three case workers in light of the decision, reducing the its ability to support vulnerable victims.