British journalist is hospitalised in Beirut after ‘attacker tore her clothes and tried to suffocate her during attempted rape’ while she was out jogging
- Unnamed victim was reportedly attacked by the waterfront of Lebanese capital
- Lebanese security forces arrested a Syrian man on suspicion of attempted rape
A British journalist was the victim of an attempted rape while jogging in Beirut, according to local security forces.
The unnamed reporter had been running by the Lebanese capital’s waterfront when her attacker allegedly ambushed her in front a children’s amusement centre in the Biel area last Wednesday.
The attacker was arrested and officials later said he was a Syrian man and had confessed to carrying out 30 similar attacks amid questioning.
The Lebanese Internal Security Forces released a photograph of the unnamed alleged attacker, adding they had arrested the suspect for ‘attempted rape’.
A statement released via Twitter on Sunday, April 2, read: ‘The Information Division at record speed arrested the suspect of the assault and attempted rape of a British journalist in the waterfront area in Beirut near KIDS MONDO, which took place on 3/29/2023.
‘The investigation is underway under the supervision of the competent judiciary.’
Photo shows the Syrian man who allegedly raped a British journalist in Beirut, Lebanon
An illustrative photo of Beirut waterfront in Lebanon, where a Syrian man tried to rape a British journalist, undated. He attempted to rape her when she was jogging
The identity and present condition of the British journalist are currently unclear but local reports suggested she was taken to hospital.
An update from the Lebanese Security Forces said the attacker ‘harassed and attempted to rape [the journalist], as he tore her clothes, beat her, tried to suffocate her, and fled on a bicycle’.
They claimed the perpetrator upon arrest told officers that ‘for about eight months he has been chasing girls with the aim of harassing them and touching their bodies, specifically girls of foreign nationalities’.
The Union of Progressive Women, a non-profit organisation based in Lebanon that advocates for women’s rights and aims to stamp out gender-based violence, released a response.
The statement read: ‘The attempt to rape a young woman in Beirut is a wake-up call for all women and girls in Lebanon – not only in Biel, but in all Lebanese streets, alleys, shops, and neighbourhoods where there are no lights, no security personnel, no officially designated safe places for practicing sports hobbies, and no surveillance cameras.’
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