The comments of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights show the campaign to construct domestic abuse as what (some) men do to (some) women shows no sign of relenting (The Herald, November 28).

The commission points out that the figure of 41,498 women reporting domestic violence at the hands of men to the police is likely to be affected by under-reporting. It also points out that these women face a postcode lottery in terms of services. Both these propositions are true and need to be addressed.

It must surely be the case that the figure of 5489 men who report domestic abuse by their female partners and 882 for abuse reporting in same-sex relationships is an even greater under-representation. With the years of campaigning and with networks of support services such as Women's Aid and an awareness of domestic violence in services like the NHS, many women still do not report abuse. These supports are denied to male victims and victims in same-sex relationships. Research indicates many victims in same-sex relationships do not even recognise the sustained abusive behaviour of their partners as domestic abuse.

It is probably true that male victims, victims in same-sex relationships and the children associated with them do not face a postcode lottery - there are next to no services. The Scottish Government is funding a small-scale project to raise awareness of domestic abuse in same-sex relationships but it will not come to a magazine or billboard near you soon.

More needs to be done to address the plight of women victims of male abusers but that need not be at the cost of making other victims and their children invisible.

Brian Dempsey, School of Law, University of Dundee.