NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet backs banning domestic violence offenders from dating apps

The NSW Premier has thrown his support behind a potential change to dating apps, in a move that could safeguard against domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Dominic Perrottet has thrown his support behind rules that could stop domestic abusers from joining dating apps.

The NSW premier said a meeting between NSW Police, domestic violence organisations, and state and federal ministers scheduled for Wednesday would “address” the topic, as well as a new trial which will allow men and women to check if their partner has been convicted of domestic violence.

While the exact details of how the 12-month trial, named Right to Ask, have yet to be announced, NSW Police could disclose information like confirmed instances of physical and sexual assault, property damage, stalking, intimidation and breaches of AVOs, said NSW Minister for Women’s Safety Natalie Ward.

Mr Perrottet said: “I think it needs to change. My view is that it needs to change,” when asked whether “men with convictions should be allowed on dating apps”

“I cannot see how people who have a conviction for domestic violence are allowed on these apps.

“Ultimately, I think it’s best done on a national level.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet backed rules which would ban people convicted of domestic violence from joining dating apps. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Seb Haggett

Calls around background checks on dating apps came after the recent death of 31-year-old Sydney teacher Dannielle Finlay-Jones.

The Sydney woman was found with major head injuries in a friend’s bedroom after spending the night with Ashley Gaddie, a man she allegedly met on a dating app.

Since charged with her alleged murder, it was later revealed that Mr Gaddie’s former partners had placed five AVOs against him since 2016. The case is before the courts.

Ashley Gaddie (right) has been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Dannielle Finlay-Jones.

NSW Minister for Women’s Safety Natalie Ward said she hoped the NSW’s new trial would address safety issues which can arise from online dating.

While the exact details of how the 12-month trial, named Right to Ask, have yet to be announced, NSW Police could disclose information like confirmed instances of physical and sexual assault, property damage, stalking, intimidation and breaches of AVOs. People could also access this information either through an online portal, or telephone service.

“With the prevalence of dating apps and online dating, you just don’t have that support network around you,” Ms Ward said on Monday morning.

“Twenty years ago, you used to meet someone through a friend or through a network and you’d have someone to refer to. Now, you’re meeting someone online and you don’t know the first thing about them.

“This gives that information about their history – if they have a violent past, if they’ve got domestic violence offences.”

‘Right to Ask’ trial could expose partner’s violent past

On Monday, the NSW government also announced a 12-month trial, named Right to Ask, which would allow people to check if the person they are dating has a history of domestic violence or abusive offending.

People applying to use the service will need to adhere to strict privacy controls, such as completing a statutory declaration and complying with ID checks.

Strict penalties will be in place for malicious applications.

Minister for Women's Safety, Natalie Ward. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Mr Perrottet said the scheme will be worth trialling, even if it “saves one life”.

“There are simply too many heartbreaking stories of women and men being seriously hurt or murdered in circumstances where the perpetrators had a history of prior domestic and violent criminal offences that they didn’t know about,” he said in a statement.

“None of us want to see a loved one scarred by domestic violence and wishing they’d known their partner’s history sooner.

“We cannot continue to have women being killed in our community, so we need to have new approaches, new thinking and new policies to back up our record of domestic violence support funding.”

Scheme welcomed by DV organisations

CEO of Full Stop Australia Hayley Foster welcomed the move and said the scheme allowed potential victims “some degree of agency”.

The sexual, domestic or family violence support organisation will be among the groups who will be working with the NSW government on the scheme’s design and will moniter its implementation over the 12-month trial.

“We’re thrilled that the NSW Government is taking very decisive action to make sure people who may be at risk of being targeted by a domestic and family violence predator will be able to have more informed choices when they’re going into a relationship with someone they perhaps don’t know,” she told NCA NewsWire.

“It’s about making sure people have opportunities to obtain that information, to make informed decisions, and placing more power in the hands of people who might be targeted by a violent or abusive partner.”

The trial will allow people to check their romantic partner for domestic violence or abuse histories. Picture: NCA NewsWire

While Ms Foster says the scheme is “an important piece of the puzzle” in reducing domestic and sexual violence, she is also calling for the implementation of a national, or at least NSW-wide, domestic violence register.

She also backed creased conversations around safety measures on dating apps.

Such a register could catalogue people who have been convicted of multiple domestic violence offences, serious offences, or have multiple AVOs out against them from multiple ex-partners, and would allow agencies, such as dating apps, to “screen people out and create safer spaces” Ms Foster said.