Sally Hall's article on the plight of Jill Bettelley (The Argus, Aug 29) was a blatant act of castration in print, by two women on the apparently guilty (male) party.

I am in no way defending Dave Bettelley, I don't know him. But does he really deserve to be damned over two pages of The Argus?

Is the purpose of this article to shame a man who left his wife and son because he is gay? It certainly looks like that. If Mr Bettelley had left his wife for another woman, would Ms Hall have got her double-page spread?

Jill Bettelley has my sympathy. It's not easy coping with a break up, especially when children are involved but what should have been a private matter between family and friends, may have opened a far bigger can of worms than she would have wished.

-D Smith, Denmark Villas, Hove