An increased number of women are being sexually assaulted by people they meet through dating sites, it has been revealed.
And the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is calling for online companies to ensure assailants who currently enjoy anonymity can be traced and caught.
A total of 12,855 pleas for help were fielded by the 24-hour rape crisis helpline last year – an increase of 500 people from 2016.
Rape Crisis Centre chief Noeline Blackwell told the Irish Mirror: “One of the trends we see emerging is that people are being assaulted by people they met on online dating sites.”
Around 49% of the new clients seen last year experienced recent rape or sexual assault, while the number of helpline calls relating to adult rape surged to 48%, up from 41% in 2016.
The figures were released as notorious beast Patrick Nevin is due to be sentenced today for the first of three sex attacks on women he met on Tinder.
While the DRCC currently does not gather separate statistics about online dating, these latest figures indicate the emerging trend that women are increasingly being attacked by people they meet through these sites.
A key element of the online dating assaults is ability by perpetrators to remain anonymous and untraceable.
Ms Blackwell said: “The way in which people meet in online dating is very fast, but it’s also very anonymous.
“And one of the ways in which people can do harm is when they feel they won’t be caught.
“And it is easy not to get caught on the online dating sites because people aren’t traceable.”
As a result, online dating sites must require all users be traceable – even if this goes against their current business models.
Ms Blackwell said: “We think there is some duty on the online dating companies – akin to recent discussions in relation to social media companies – to try to limit the harm people can do.”
Although Facebook is not specifically an online dating destination, the popular social media site has been at the centre of many recent discussions about internet safety.
A spokeswoman insisted user protection remains a priority for the company.
She said: “It is against our rules to use a fake name or a false identity on Facebook.
“We have been absolutely committed to this authentic name policy since day one and we encourage people to report anyone they think is breaking it.”
- The DRCC’s National 24-hour Helpline is 1800 77 8888.
