I disagree with that.
If prostitution is kept illegal, and a John beats and rapes a woman who is a prostitute, she has no protection at all from the law. If she tries going to the police (or even calling for help while being assaulted,) she opens herself up to criminal charges, and unfortunately, many in law enforcement (and the public) see the assault as "something that she was asking for."
As long as they keep laws on the books that go after pimps and traffickers, a woman should have the option of making a bad choice, but in some cases, it's the only choice she may have.
I've just seen the current laws as being something that victimizes women twice, while protecting men who are predators.
Mark
As things are, she does have protection, she just has to turn herself in. Which will also get her free medical care.
Running a rape kit there will be DNA and even without injuries they can bust him for the prostitution.
So your first assertion is demonstrably false.
Not true. Especially in the last 10 years as awareness of human sex trafficking has grown the police are much more aware of the dynamics of the sex-trade, and in many cities their reflex action now is to assume that every woman working as a prostitute is "being trafficked". Assault is assault, and the police won't hesitate to arrest people who beat up other people in most places, regardless of the context.
This same argument is the one used for why we can't prosecute illegals. If we do then no illegal will be able to talk to the police.
In both cases it's being oversold. Both police and people reporting suffering crimes are pretty smart, and able to prioritize things.
“If..a John beats and rapes a woman who is a prostitute, she has no protection at all from the law.”
Sorry, no. That’s one of those “used to be true, but ain’t no mo” ideas. Went out along with the idea that ANY rape victim who’d ever had sex previously must have been “asking for it.”
The attitudes you reference went out with miscegenation, lynching, and gay bashing.
Any rape or assault reported by anyone is allegedly a crime & must be investigated. Any victim— no matter who s/he is— can get a lawyer, call a press conference, and sue the crap out of any police force that refuses to investigate.