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On 13 April 1946, the so-called “Marthe Richard” law abolished regulated prostitution in France. Still in force today, it required the closure of licensed brothels. The title by which it is often known does not reflect reality, since Marthe Richard (1889-1982) was never a member of the French National Assembly, and therefore could not propose legislation. But as a “heroine of the Great War”, who received a great deal of media coverage in the 1930s for her role as an aviatrix and spy, she had initiated the debate a few months earlier in the Paris City Council. Based largely on unpublished sources, this article reveals the role she played in bringing the law about, and considers the context of the attacks on her in the post-war decades. This analysis shows that Marthe Richard’s primary campaign was not for the abolition of brothels, but for the defense of prostitutes, and the desire to provide them with care, support and rehabilitation, based on the experience of her own early years in Nancy.