LSE hires writer who jeered at reporter's sex assault in Egypt

The London School of Economics came under fresh criticism today after it hired a writer who publicly mocked the victim of a sex assault.

Nir Rosen, 33, will work as a research fellow at the university's global governance centre, which is being investigated after it accepted £1.5 million from Colonel Gaddafi's Libyan regime.

Mr Rosen was forced to resign in disgrace from New York University last month after making fun of CBS correspondent Lara Logan, who was stripped, beaten up and molested by a baying mob while covering the Egyptian revolution. He admitted his career was ruined after writing a series of comments on Twitter about Ms Logan, saying she was "probably just groped like thousands of other women".

But this weekend he announced he will start work at the LSE.

One LSE source said: "It's an unbelievable appointment. You'd think these people would have learned their lesson by now, but all they seem to want to do is rehabilitate highly offensive individuals."

Hours after details of Ms Logan's ordeal in Egypt emerged last month, Mr Rosen said she was trying to "outdo" Anderson Cooper, a veteran CNN correspondent who was also attacked in Egypt. He wrote on Twitter: "Yes yes it's wrong what happened to her. Of course. I don't support that. But it would have been funny if it happened to Anderson too."

He added: "Jesus Christ, at a moment when she is going to become a martyr and glorified we should at least remember her role as a major warmonger. Look, she was probably groped like thousands of other women."

After a massive backlash, Mr Rosen was forced to resign from New York University, where executive director Karen J Greenberg described his comments as "cruel and insensitive".

Mr Rosen later offered an apology in which he said he had "devoted his career to defending victims and supporting justice", but appeared unlikely to find another job.

But this weekend, Mr Rosen used his Twitter account to announce: "I am now a Fellow at the London School of Economics Center for the Study of Global Governance. So now I write Center "centre". Cheerio!"

Rosen will work in London alongside Alia Brahimi, a researcher who described Gaddafi as "Brother Leader".

Mr Rosen's appointment is believed to have been sanctioned by Mary Kaldor, co-director of the global governance centre, thought to be a friend of Mr Rosen.

LSE director Sir Howard Davies resigned over the university's links to Libya this month.