CBS News war correspondent Lara Logan endured a "brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating" while covering the jubilation in Egypt last week following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, the network said today.
In a statement, CBS said Logan was on assignment for "60 Minutes" while covering the festive atmosphere last Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square when "her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy."
During the chaos, Logan, 39, became "separated from her crew" and "suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers."
The separation and assault lasted for roughly 20 to 30 minutes, said a person familiar with the matter, who added that it was "not a rape."
The network said Logan returned to the US on the first flight the following day.
"She is currently in the hospital recovering," CBS said, without elaborating. "There will be no further comment from CBS News and Correspondent Logan and her family respectfully request privacy at this time."
Logan is one of nearly 140 news correspondents who have been injured or killed since Jan. 30 while covering the political unrest in Egypt, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Logan, a native of South Africa, has been CBS's chief foreign correspondent since 2006. She has regularly filed reports from war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan for "60 MInutes" and the "CBS Evening News."
Before joining CBS News in 2002, Logan had 14 years of journalism experience, including 10 years in the international broadcast news. She served as a correspondent for GMTV, the morning news program of Great Britain’s ITV. She had also worked as a freelancer for CBS Radio and CNN.
Logan also received an Emmy Award, an Overseas Press Club Award and a Murrow Award for "Ramadi: On the Front Line," a 2006 report on US soldiers who came under fire in Ramadi, Iraq.
No comments:
Post a Comment