Mick Fuller, police commissioner for New South Wales, said
an app that allowed people to digitally document their agreement before having
sex could be "part of the solution", after cases of sexual assault in
the state rose by 10% last year.
"I am just suggesting: is it part of the solution?
Maybe it's not, but if we don't do something then more and more women are going
to come forward seeking justice for sexual violence," he told reporters.
The proposal, which followed allegations of sexual
misconduct by top Australian officials that have triggered widespread protests,
sparked a mostly negative response, with many saying technology was not the
answer.
"It's good (the NSW police are) acknowledging the need
for affirmative consent, but this isn't a safe way forward," said Hayley
Foster, the chief executive at Women's Safety NSW, the state's domestic
violence service.
"The abuser can simply coerce the victim to use the
app," she tweeted in response to Fuller's comments.
"I'm mystified by the ongoing belief that technology
must be a good solution in situations where we are dealing with power, nuance
and complex human behaviour," said Annabelle Daniel, head of Women's
Community Shelters, a charity.
Tens of thousands of women gathered outside Australia's
parliament and took to the streets across the country on Monday, calling for
gender equality and justice for victims of sexual assault.
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