Met Police Admit Sending 2019 Markle Abuse Allegations to Sussex Office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it sent a 2019 letter containing allegations against Meghan Markle's father directly to her office, bypassing other law enforcement bodies. The disclosure followed reports that Thomas Markle Sr. possessed child sexual abuse images, a claim his half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. brought to investigators in the Philippines.

Scotland Yard stated it received the document in January 2019. The letter detailed claims of offending occurring outside Britain. The force passed the information to the Protection Command to assess the security risks for the Duchess of Sussex. A spokesperson said the letter was reviewed and a decision was made to pass it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The Met confirmed it did not share the information with other law enforcement agencies.

Thomas Markle Jr., 60, told detectives in the Philippines he found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and phones stored in four boxes at his father's home in Cebu. Markle Sr. lived in that residence until returning to the US in May after a stroke. Markle Jr. said he contacted the FBI regarding the findings. Markle Sr. denied the claims, calling them sick lies in an interview with the Daily Mail.

A Met spokesperson said the force conducted a thorough review of its systems and records. The department is now reviewing how it handled the matter in 2019. It is considering referring itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct to examine the process.

Meghan Markle said through a spokesperson that she was deeply distressed by the news. She said her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She confirmed she was given a letter with troubling allegations and was assured they were being investigated. She stated her decision to limit her father's contact with her children was made solely to protect them.

The duchess is estranged from her father, who has never met Prince Archie, seven, or Princess Lilibet, five. She and Prince Harry recently returned to the UK from the US. Meghan initially said the letter arrived in 2018, then corrected the date to 2019. Her spokesperson noted that mistakes are understandable when recalling events from more than seven years ago without a contemporaneous record.

Sources said Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019 to avoid jeopardizing future investigations or facing legal action.