Serial sex offender Patrick Nevin, who attacked three women in the space of 11 days after meeting them through the dating app Tinder, has been jailed for 12 years.

Nevin would convince the women to meet for a drive, would pick them up from their home and then drive to a secluded area where he attacked them. 

“Tech companies must take responsibility for the use of their apps by sexual predators and not leave it up to women to take extra measures to keep themselves safe,” Orla O’Connor of the National Women’s Council told The Irish Times. “Women should be able to use dating apps without fearing for their safety,” she said.

‘Ban for life’

Chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) Noeline Blackwell said: “The Nevin case should be widely publicised to ensure more people have the confidence to speak out about sexual violence they have suffered after meeting someone through a dating app.”

She added that dating sites needed to take greater responsibility for their users.

Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone said that “all sex offenders should be banned from using dating apps for life”, saying it was common sense to restrict such people from interacting with others online.

“People should always take precautions on dating apps, but they should also expect some level of security vetting when using these apps,” she said.