As I explained below, the concept was "look, pretty women in danger, read the book to find out if they turn out ok!". The intention was to make the viewer worry for the characters, sympathize with them, and hope for their success and safety. Deathtrap covers always do that, and this one in particular used sex appeal as an additional emotional hook to sell it's message. You're free to disagree with that, and you may even have a point there, but to paint it as something worse than that is mistaken.