Crime and Policing Bill

Written evidence submitted by a UK-based British disabled independent sex worker, in a personal capacity (CPB27)

Executive Summary

• I am a UK-based British disabled independent sex worker who would be directly and negatively affected by the proposed introduction of the Nordic Model and the criminalisation of adult services websites (ASWs).

• These measures would increase the risk of violence, undermine my ability to screen clients, and push me into more precarious working conditions.

• There is no evidence that the Nordic Model reduces harm for sex workers; in fact, research from countries that have adopted it shows increased danger and greater marginalisation.

• Full decriminalisation, as supported by Amnesty International, the World Health Organization, and other major human rights bodies, is the only legal framework shown to improve safety and health outcomes.

• I urge the Committee to oppose the introduction of the Nordic Model and support the full decriminalisation of sex work in the UK.

Introduction

1. I am submitting this written evidence in a personal capacity as a current British sex worker based in the UK.

2. I am making this submission because I believe that the proposed changes to the Police and Crime Bill - specifically the introduction of the Nordic Model and potential closure of adult services websites - would place me, and others in my position, at greater risk of harm.

3. I have worked in this sector for 3 years since developing Long COVID and being unable to work full time. My decision to work as a sex worker has enabled me to stay financially independent, working the hours I can with the energy I have available. My perspective is informed by lived experience, peer support networks, and my own safety strategies developed over time.

Evidence and Key Concerns

4. The proposed legislation seeks to criminalise the purchase of sex while decriminalising its sale. This is referred to as the Nordic Model or the Sex Buyer Law.

5. In theory, this model aims to reduce demand and target exploitation. In practice, it has been shown to increase danger for those of us who sell sex.

6. After the Nordic Model was introduced in France and Northern Ireland, sex workers experienced increased levels of violence, greater difficulty screening clients, and higher levels of poverty and housing insecurity.

7. The fear of arrest makes clients unwilling to share identifying information or communicate clearly, which makes my job more dangerous and reduces my ability to protect myself.

8. When client numbers drop, sex workers have fewer choices. This may force us to accept clients we would otherwise turn down, reducing our ability to work safely and on our own terms.

Adult Services Websites

9. Adult services websites (ASWs) are a vital safety tool. They allow me to work independently, vet clients, and avoid street-based or third-party-dependent work.

10. The proposal to criminalise profiting from another person’s sex work is clearly aimed at shutting down these platforms.

11. In the US, the closure of similar websites under FOSTA/SESTA legislation led to a sharp increase in violence, disappearance, and trafficking - not a reduction.

12. Shutting down ASWs will force many sex workers into street-based or more dangerous environments and increase our reliance on exploitative intermediaries.

Why Decriminalisation is the Better Path

13. The current legal framework already creates risk through laws on brothel-keeping and solicitation. These laws punish sex workers for working together for safety or supporting one another.

14. Full decriminalisation - the removal of criminal penalties for consensual adult sex work - is supported by organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNAIDS, and the World Health Organization.

15. This model has been shown to reduce violence, improve access to healthcare and justice, and support long-term wellbeing and economic independence for sex workers.

Personal Impact

16. As a sex worker, I use adult services websites to advertise, vet clients, and negotiate the terms of my work.

17. I am careful about who I see and under what circumstances. The current legal grey area is already difficult to navigate. Further criminalisation would undermine the few tools I have to keep myself safe.

18. These proposed laws, though often framed as protective, would in reality strip me of autonomy, reduce my income, and expose me to increased violence, stigma, and risk of criminalisation by proxy.

Recommendations to the Committee

19. Reject any proposed amendments that would introduce the Nordic Model into UK legislation.

20. Oppose efforts to criminalise adult services websites or third-party arrangements that enable safe, independent work.

21. Support the full decriminalisation of sex work, including the repeal of laws that criminalise workers for operating in pairs, in shared premises, or through online platforms.

22. Meaningfully consult sex workers themselves in all future legislative efforts related to the sex industry.

Conclusion

23. I am not asking for special treatment - only for safety, dignity, and equal protection under the law.

24. The Nordic Model does not achieve these aims. It makes my life and my work more dangerous, not less.

25. I ask the Committee to centre the voices and evidence of those directly affected, and to support the only model shown to improve outcomes: full decriminalisation.

Thank you for considering this evidence. I would be happy to provide further detail or contribute oral evidence if requested.

Submitted in a personal capacity

Key Facts & Supporting Links

1. The Nordic Model increases violence against sex workers

In France, 63% of sex workers reported worse living conditions after the criminalisation of clients, and 42% reported increased violence.

Source: Médecins du Monde, 2018 – "What do sex workers think about the French Prostitution Act?"

In Northern Ireland, violence increased after the Nordic Model was implemented, with no significant reduction in demand.

Source: Queen’s University Belfast, 2019 – "Sexual Exploitation and Sex Work Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland"

2. Criminalisation drives sex work underground, reducing access to safety and support

Fear of arrest makes clients less likely to provide identifying information, undermining screening practices.

Source: Amnesty International – "Sex workers’ rights are human rights"

Sex workers in criminalised settings report more barriers to reporting violence and abuse.

Source: UNAIDS – "Sex work, HIV and the law"

3. Adult services websites are essential safety tools

These websites help sex workers screen clients, work independently, and avoid exploitative intermediaries.

Source: Sex Work Research Hub / University of Leicester – "Internet-based sex work"

In the US, the shutdown of online platforms under FOSTA/SESTA resulted in loss of income, increased violence, and reduced access to safety tools.

Source: Hacking//Hustling – "Erased: The Impact of FOSTA-SESTA" (2020)

4. Full decriminalisation is supported by global human rights and health organisations

Amnesty International, UNAIDS, Human Rights Watch, World Health Organization, and Open Society Foundations all support full decriminalisation.

Sources:

Amnesty International

UNAIDS

Human Rights Watch

WHO / The New Humanitarian

Open Society Foundations – "10 Reasons to Decriminalize Sex Work"

5. Decriminalisation improves health, safety, and access to justice

In New Zealand (where sex work is decriminalised), sex workers report increased safety, better relationships with police, and improved working conditions.

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Justice – "Report of the Prostitution Law Review Committee" (2008)

Decriminalisation is associated with reduced rates of HIV transmission, greater access to healthcare, and lower risk of exploitation.

Source: Lancet Series on HIV and Sex Workers (2015)

6. Pornography is a form of expression and should not be censored

Legal adult content is protected by UK law and human rights frameworks, including Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission – Freedom of Expression

Attempts to restrict legal pornography disproportionately impact marginalised creators (LGBTQ+, disabled, non-mainstream kink communities).

Source: Woodhull Freedom Foundation – "Sex Work & Free Expression"

On Decriminalisation

Decriminalisation is not radical - it’s evidence-based public policy.

Every major human rights organisation agrees: decriminalisation saves lives.

You can’t support public health and criminalise sex work at the same time.

Decriminalisation gives workers the power to protect themselves.

The evidence is clear - what’s missing is political courage.

On Pornography and Expression

Sexual expression is not a crime.

Not all adult content is for everyone - and that’s exactly why it matters.

Pornography is art, labour, protest, fantasy, and pleasure - all protected forms of expression.

Sanitising porn doesn’t make people safer - it erases identities and realities.

The answer to bad porn isn’t banning porn - it’s creating better conditions to make it right.

On Adult Services Websites

Adult services websites are not the problem - they’re part of the solution.

Shutting down online platforms doesn't reduce harm - it removes safety nets.

The internet is how we screen, negotiate, and say no.

Removing online infrastructure is like pulling the brakes off a moving car.

If you care about exploitation, don’t take away the tools workers use to avoid it.

On the Nordic Model

The Nordic Model punishes clients, but the consequences fall on sex workers.

When clients fear arrest, workers lose control.

Screening clients is the first line of defence - the Nordic Model takes that away.

If the goal is safety, the Nordic Model fails on every front.

Sex workers shouldn't have to choose between rent and safety.

General Opposition

You can’t protect sex workers by making their work more dangerous.

Criminalisation doesn’t end sex work - it just ends safety.

Policy based on ideology will never solve problems rooted in inequality.

If the law can’t tell the difference between violence and consensual work, the law needs to change.

Stigma kills - and criminalisation is state-sponsored stigma.

March 2025