December 3, 2016 9.40 am
This story is over 64 months old
Lincolnshire Talks: Can people who use dating apps or websites always be trusted?
Following the conviction of Stephen Port last week, who killed a number of men after meeting them on dating apps including Grindr and Gaydar, Lincolnshire Reporter has looked into how safe dating apps actually are. Stephen Port received a whole-life sentence on Friday, November 25, following the murder of four gay men, who he drugged and…
Have you ever had a bad experience using a dating app?
Following the conviction of Stephen Port last week, who killed a number of men after meeting them on dating apps including Grindr and Gaydar, Lincolnshire Reporter has looked into how safe dating apps actually are.
Stephen Port received a whole-life sentence on Friday, November 25, following the murder of four gay men, who he drugged and raped before dumping their bodies near his flat in east London.
Port had met these men on dating apps before luring them to their deaths.
Figures
The conviction of Stephen Port for the killings of young men he met on a number of dating apps, including Grindr and Gaydar highlighted the seriousness of using dating apps in an unsafe way.
According to data released by the National Crime Agency (NCA), dating apps are one of the main threats to the general public in terms of sexual violence.
Figures have shown that the number of allegations of rapes linked to dating apps have significantly risen over the last five years.
The NCA has said that around 184 people had reported being raped by someone they had met via a dating app or website in 2014, which had risen from 33 people in 2009.
Software safety?
But is there anything that dating app owners themselves can do to make their platforms safer – or is it the responsibility of the user?
Robert Willie, a web developer from Lincoln, told Lincolnshire Reporter: “There are certain industry standards that all good app developers adhere to and I am doubtful an app would be allowed onto the app store if it didn’t comply with these.
“For an app to go onto an app store passwords have to be encrypted and data is usually sent over a secure connection.
“However, on profiles, it is you, the user, that has full control of the information you present.
“The reality is that it is down to individuals.
“In terms of dating apps there is no way of assuring someone is who they say they are. It is common sense, if you go on a date you go to a well known place.
“The issue isn’t concerning the app’s secure connections, it’s about what you are willing to share and making sure you use different passwords so you can’t be hacked. The responsibility is with the user.”
Photo: Denis Bocquet
How to stay safe
Hayley Child, Strategy Coordinator for Lincolnshire – Substance Misuse and Sexual Violence & Abuse said: “It’s important to remember that anyone can pretend to be anyone when they are online and until you meet them in person you don’t even know what they look like.
“Implement as many safeguards as possible when you are going on a date.
“Whilst internet dating can be fun and exciting, it does hold an element of risk.
“If you implement as many safeguards as possible it will help you escape a difficult meeting as safely as possible.”
How to stay safe on a date with stranger:
Pick a pub bar which you know is involved with the ‘Ask for Angela’ Scheme
Ask for a friend to sit in the bar whilst you are on your date so you know they are close by if needed.
Inform a friend of where you are going on your date (venue, times etc)
Provide details to your friend of who you are going to meet (consider sending a screen shot of the persons profile including picture)
Check in with your friend mid date
Consider using ‘friend finder’ on your phone
If you feel in danger or extremely uncomfortable and can’t safely remove yourself from the date go and ask for help from the bar staff
Always meet in a public place such as a coffee shop.
Never hand over personal details such as where you live until you have met and feel it is safe to do so
Consider meeting during a lunch break at a public place to allow yourself a deadline to your date without raising suspicion if you want to end the date soon.
Sarah is a News Reporter at The Lincolnite. You can contact her directly with your news via email at [email protected]
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Officers investigating an incident near Cleethorpes would like to speak with a person who they believe could assist with their enquiries.
It is reported that the victim was walking down the A1031 between Humberston and Cleethorpes at around 7:00am on Sunday 22 May, before they were sexually assaulted near ‘Buck Beck’ between Wilton Road and Taylor’s Avenue.
We believe a man who was walking two medium-sized brown dogs in the area at the time may be able to assist with our investigation.
He is described as in his 50s, between 5’2” and 5’5” tall and was wearing a light blue coloured fleece with long sleeves and a cap.
If this was you, or if you have any information that may help with our enquiries, please call us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 172 of 22 May.
Grantham A&E will permanently become an urgent treatment centre in a shake-up of Lincolnshire’s hospital services.
The site will become 24-hour service rather than the daytime service offered currently.
However, hospital bosses have admitted that a small number of patients will now have to travel to Lincoln instead each day, and campaigners say the move is a “downgrade.”
The UTC is expected to be fully operational in the next 12 to 18 months.
The health services shake-up would also see an orthopaedic ‘centre of excellence’ created in Grantham, and stroke services consolidated in Lincoln County Hospital rather than Boston.
The Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group says the proposals will offer better care and reduced waiting times for patients.
Councillor Linda Wootten at a protest over the A&E’s fate last year | Photo: Mel Powles
The proposals in full which have been agreed:
Orthopaedics – Consolidate planned orthopaedic surgery at Grantham and District Hospital to establish a ‘centre of excellence’ in Lincolnshire, and establish a dedicated day-case centre at County Hospital Louth for planned orthopaedic surgery
Urgent treatment and emergency care – Grantham and District Hospital A&E department to become a 24/7 urgent treatment centre (UTC).
Acute medicine – Develop integrated community/acute medical beds at Grantham and District Hospital, in place of the current acute medical beds
Stroke services – Consolidate hyper-acute and acute stroke services on the Lincoln County Hospital site, supported by an enhanced community stroke rehabilitation service.
More than 3,400 people were consulted about the wide-ranging changes.
Although Lincolnshire residents were supportive of them overall, both Grantham and Boston residents were resistant to the changes planned for their local services.
Health bosses said keeping the accident and emergency service in Grantham wasn’t sustainable.
Jody Clark, the founder of the Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital campaign group said: “It’s been six years since the first ‘temporary’ overnight closure, and when it finally reopens as 24 hours next year, it won’t be the service we wanted.
“They say it isn’t a downgrade but it feels like it is, especially after losing our paediatrics and maternity services over the years.
“This will lead to more people going to Lincoln and Boston’s overstretched A&E services.
“It feels like lip services is being paid to the transport issues. Getting to Lincoln hospital regularly isn’t viable for a lot of people who don’t have transport, particularly in rural villages.
“They talk about offering a streamlined service, but I don’t think that will be people’s lived experience. Our goal now will be to stop any other services from leaving the hospital.”
The CCG board meeting heard that higher-quality services concentrated in one area lead to better outcomes, despite the added travel time.
Grantham’s UTC will be able to see the majority of patients who currently go to the A&E.
However, the hospital trust expects around two per day will be sent to Lincoln for treatment instead.
East Midlands Ambulance Service were supportive of the changes, and said they will be able to cope with the increase in longer journeys.
It is hoped that the proposals will leave the trust’s finances £1.9million a year better off, while also improving care and reducing staff vacancies.
Peter Burnett, the CCG planning director, said: “Fast access to high quality diagnosis and treatment at the acute site can offset longer travel times. There’s also ambulance travel time which can be still be used to support treatment of patients.”
Dr David Baker said: “When we started out this proposal several years ago, it was out of concern for the fragility of the services, but we have developed proposals that will undoubtedly improve the quality of service for patients.”
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