Woman Sues Match.com Over Sexual Assault

Status
Not open for further replies.

belardo

Distinguished
Nov 23, 2008
1,143
0
19,230
Sorry about the rape of this woman. It happens, it sucks and the guy needs to be in jail for a very very LONG time.

But...

Screening may help a bit, but won't stop such assults. Online or real-life, rape can happen on a date or a stranger.

What next? What about screening everyones email account? There are ways around the screening, such as ID theft, or never been charged with a previous sexual assault. Even websites like this one (TOMs) - someone could meet up with a rapist.
 
G

Guest

Guest
I agree with Belardo. It is a terrible thing that happend. But then can every rape victim sue the bar they were are when they met the guy who raped them?
 
G

Guest

Guest
"... I had considered myself savvy about online dating safety," the woman said."

... ugh, OK. This ranks right up there with the "cyber-bullying" topic. Oh, yeah forgot ... we can't possibly live without the internet.
 

hoofhearted

Distinguished
Apr 9, 2004
423
0
18,930
(1) The woman didn't sue for money, but for a mechanism to be put in place where there was none.

(2) There is a sex offenders database already in place. You can even get a google map of criminals in your area with it. All they need to do is cross reference name, address, etc against it.

I would guess that in order for the woman to even have a case, that the offender did already exist in this database.
 

NuclearShadow

Distinguished
Sep 20, 2007
670
0
18,940
The woman, however, did not seek any monetary compensation.

This right here has not only gained mine respect for this woman but also her cause.

We damn well should screen for known sex offenders on these sites. Of course they are going to use such sites to target victims. I am actually amazed that it took this long for the issue to come up to begin with and sadly it took a horrible event to occur to make it happen.
Every site like this should not only have a back ground check but a requirement to produce evidence of being said person the user claims to be.

[citation][nom]Belardo[/nom] There are ways around the screening, such as ID theft, or never been charged with a previous sexual assault. Even websites like this one (TOMs) - someone could meet up with a rapist.[/citation]

While I am certain you are correct no matter how tough they make it there will be some who can slip through it still would overall make it safer. Nothing is perfect but that doesn't mean we should throw our hands in the air and no try our best to make such things not happen.
As for your example of Tom's making users at risk I would say while such a risk is present it is extremely unlikely compared to dating sites that aim to have make people meet. Tom's does not attempt to serve that function.

[citation][nom]angrybird[/nom]I agree with Belardo. It is a terrible thing that happend. But then can every rape victim sue the bar they were are when they met the guy who raped them?[/citation]

A bar is not a dating service and in this case the woman did not even desire a financial gain
the lawsuit was over preventing such from happening to others. She should be praised for such and I would say this makes her a extremely brave and strong person. Back to your bar comparison however, a bar or nightclub is indeed somewhat responsible for your safety while you are in the bar. Liabilty and negligence as a example while this may not cover rape that is because more than likely the rape itself does not take place within the bar's property.
 

cookoy

Distinguished
Aug 3, 2009
623
0
18,930
Kudos to the woman to try to put in place some mechanism to screen out rotten people in match.com. But won't sex offenders just register using false info?
 

canesin

Distinguished
Jul 7, 2010
1
0
18,510
www [dot] familywatchdog [dot] us

LOL, just searched for some place in New York, looks like there is more criminals than buildings.
 

tbouncert

Distinguished
Apr 19, 2011
2
0
18,510
[citation][nom]NuclearShadow[/nom]A bar is not a dating service and in this case the woman did not even desire a financial gainthe lawsuit was over preventing such from happening to others. She should be praised for such and I would say this makes her a extremely brave and strong person. Back to your bar comparison however, a bar or nightclub is indeed somewhat responsible for your safety while you are in the bar. Liabilty and negligence as a example while this may not cover rape that is because more than likely the rape itself does not take place within the bar's property.[/citation]

@NuclearShadow At your response to angrybird. I believe what he was getting at, is that meeting someone at a bar is just like meeting someone on a dating site...you don't know them (granted there is somewhat more information on the dating site true or not). So what is the difference in what you're saying? You're not on match.com's property...just like the bar. Yeah it would help with current offenders, but what about fresh new ones without an offense yet? People just have to take chances...that's just life.

Don't get me wrong, I am agreeing with what she is doing and what match.com is doing to help prevent as must as they can.
 
G

Guest

Guest
sorry about the rape, but why would you invite somebody you met online into your place on a first date?
 

dark_lord69

Distinguished
Jun 6, 2006
740
0
19,010
OK...
I agree that it would be a good thing for the site to screen for sexual offenders and I'm sorry for what happened to her..
BUT...
This lawsuit is just another highlight showing that people don't want to take responsiblity for their own actions. This is a frivolus lawsuit that should get throwen out but america's justice system is retarded. Match.com didn't force her to go on this date. I saw in an interview on Good Morning America the guy wouldn't even give his full name. If that's not a sign I don't know what is... If this man wouldn't give his full name she should have stopped right there and said we are done.
 

rasagul

Distinguished
Jan 27, 2010
30
0
18,580
No person should ever have to go through something like this. I have to ask though, what prevented her from checking the data base?
 

officeguy

Distinguished
Jul 21, 2009
109
0
18,630
^
I
I totally agree wiith you. It can happened anytime or anywhere to anybody. You can't predict how or why or when these criminals will strike. The only things is to watch for is red flags and then don't move on. It not Match.com fault, it is not the woman's fault, it is whoever did the crime that is at fault.
 

Anomalyx

Distinguished
Apr 2, 2010
195
0
18,630
This horrific ordeal completely blindsided me because I had considered myself savvy about online dating safety
Am I the only one who finds this sentence funny? The very fact that you agreed to meet someone you had never heard of before flies in the face of everything that is "safety". It's like buying a car, someone else crashing into you, and trying to sue Ford for it, and the horrific ordeal completely blindsided you because you had considered yourself savvy about driving safety.
 

sykozis

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2008
338
0
18,930
Since when are dating websites responsible for people lacking any for of common sense??? It's been well publicized for 2 decades that it is NOT, under any circumstances, "safe" to meet people in person that you've talked to online...
 

NuclearShadow

Distinguished
Sep 20, 2007
670
0
18,940
[citation][nom]tbouncert[/nom]@NuclearShadow At your response to angrybird. I believe what he was getting at, is that meeting someone at a bar is just like meeting someone on a dating site...you don't know them (granted there is somewhat more information on the dating site true or not). So what is the difference in what you're saying? You're not on match.com's property...just like the bar. Yeah it would help with current offenders, but what about fresh new ones without an offense yet? People just have to take chances...that's just life. Don't get me wrong, I am agreeing with what she is doing and what match.com is doing to help prevent as must as they can.[/citation]

The difference is the function of a bar and a match making service. The bar is not there nor designed for such a function. Do to this major difference they have different responsibilities.
The dating site can protect people by doing background checks, while the bar protects people by cutting off people whom have had too much alcohol consumption. Obviously it would be illogical to expect these very difference businesses to have the same responsibilities. But under no circumstance does this remove them of such responsibilities.

As for bringing up it doesn't protect against new offenders this doesn't make sense as a objection to not screening for known offenders. If a known child rapist moved next door to you, would you rather not know because your other neighbor may be and simply because hes not known to be yet? Sure this isn't going to stop the risk of it happening again however it will decrease the chances and that is what matters.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Sorry this happened. However, should we screen everyone that walks into a bar? Everyone that posts a classified ad? It's up to each person to take responsibility for ensuring their safety. Nothing else needs to be done or said.
 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
778
0
18,930
[citation][nom]sykozis[/nom]Since when are dating websites responsible for people lacking any for of common sense???...[/citation]

Actually, 'international' dating sites; i.e. dating services that provide "mail order brides' are required by law to run a background check on their US clients !

Maybe it is not such a bad idea to require the same for in-country dating as well. Just look at what's lurking in the Yahoo groups etc.; frightening !



 

tbouncert

Distinguished
Apr 19, 2011
2
0
18,510
My point was that screening for known will cut down on the possibilities, but that doesn't stop someone from being raped on these sites.

It is getting annoying that companies have to protect people from doing stupid stuff. They have to hold your hand to make sure you get across the street safely. Common sense is going down the drain....yeah it is nice that companies take some if not most responsibilities....but come on people have some common sense. All these lawsuits are total BS, all people want is money....and you know what money causes.

And for having a child rapist moving next door to me...well for one I do not have children yet so to some extent that doesn't bother me there. Secondly they're just another human being. Who knows, he might be trying to make things right, maybe not....the point is you never know. You have to live one day at a time and work with what you have in that moment.


 
Status
Not open for further replies.