Letter: Australia leads in helping children and 'absent parents'

Sir: Sue Slipman represents her organisation (the National Council for One Parent Families) with skill. It is unfortunate that so much of what she writes is far from the facts of the situation.

For instance, she tells us that 'most men (are) richer after divorce and women poorer'. Seventy eight per cent of divorces are brought by the woman, so they are placing themselves in that position. Almost all of them receive more than half, sometimes all, of the capital from the family on the grounds that it is needed for the children. The father meanwhile has equal needs - for example, to house the children when they stay with him - but has no rights over residence in court proceedings.

Before the divorce, the woman 'owned' one half of the assets; after, the woman owns more than half, thereby being the richer, not the poorer. I cannot think of any greater misrepresentation of the true situation as that perpetuated by Ms Slipman.

Yours sincerely,

BARRY WORRALL

National Council of

Families Need Fathers

London, EC2

19 May