There is absolutely no place for this type of concerning behaviour in our society.
We treat incidents of this nature with the utmost seriousness and urge anyone who has experienced this behaviour to come forward and make a report to police so we can investigate and track down the offenders responsible.
Victims can also speak to a Victoria Police LGBTIQA+ Liaison Officer (LLO) if they prefer by visiting LGBTIQA+ Liaison Officers | Your safety | Victoria Police
We now have more than 600 LLOs across the state who serve as contact points for our rainbow community and work hard to provide advice on personal safety and help with reporting crime.
Since October last year, Victoria Police has made more than 30 arrests in relation to attacks on men linked to the use of dating apps – showing just how serious we are in holding offenders to account for these crimes and ensuring the safety of victims.
As when using any app or social media platform, we encourage people to always remain vigilant by protecting your identity and location and verifying the other person’s identity before meeting up.
Statement from a spokesperson from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
Australians deserve to feel safe when using online dating services and apps, but unfortunately, we know that is not the reality for many Australians.
Protecting Australians from online harms, including dating app violence, is a major focus for the Australian Government.
This is a shared responsibility. The Government is pleased that the online dating industry has come to the table in response to its call to action and worked to develop the voluntary, industry-led online dating industry code, which puts important safeguards in place to protect users from harm and abuse, and provides greater transparency so Australians can make informed choices about the services they use.
While it’s good that the code is in place, that doesn’t mean the job is done. The Government is keeping a close eye on how the code is working in practice, with the eSafety Commissioner to start assessing its effectiveness in the coming months. The Government has made clear it will not hesitate to implement mandatory regulation if the code doesn’t stack up and keep users safe.
Dating apps are also covered by the eSafety Commissioner’s current industry codes process.
We welcome any initiatives by the industry that will improve the safety of Australians who are seeking a connection through online dating services, noting their responsibility to protect their users from harm.
