The Metropolitan Police has referred its handling of a 2019 letter concerning Meghan Markle’s father to the police watchdog.
The force passed the letter, which contained accusations against 82-year-old Thomas Markle Sr, to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2019. It included “a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom”.
However, the Met did not share the letter or details of the alleged offences with other law enforcement agencies, nor did it open its own investigation into Markle Sr.
The force has now made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its handling of the letter. It also said it intends to refer the allegations to “a number of” relevant overseas law enforcement agencies.
The letter is understood to have been written by Markle’s late first wife, Roslyn Loveless. It reportedly contained “troubling and disturbing” allegations about the Duchess of Sussex’s father.
Last week, reports emerged that Meghan had allegedly been told the claims made in the letter were under investigation.
The Met’s decision comes after Meghan’s half-brother, 60-year-old Thomas Markle Jr, said he had discovered a collection of suspected child sexual abuse images among his father’s possessions at his home in the Philippines.
Markle Sr has been accused of possessing a “sickening” collection of child abuse images, including videos allegedly showing girls no older than 10 or 11 taking part in sexual acts.
Thomas Jr said he found the material in July while searching through boxes at his father’s home for a phone for his fiancée, Rose. Markle Sr had returned to the United States for medical treatment.
Meghan and her father, Thomas Sr, have been estranged since 2018, the year she married Harry
Meghan’s brother Thomas Markle Jr said he found the suspected child-abuse material in boxes at their father’s home in the Philippines
He also allegedly found a 15-minute video showing naked girls on his father’s old mobile phone, along with “hundreds” of indecent images reportedly depicting children as young as toddlers.
Authorities in the Philippines have opened an investigation. A court issued a warrant today allowing officers to examine the digital material handed over by Thomas Jr, while the FBI is also reportedly preparing to join the inquiry.
Announcing the IOPC referral, Commander Adam Slonecki, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Protection Command, said: “In January 2019, the Met received a letter addressed to our Protection Command, specifically the Fixated Threats Assessment Centre.
“The author said they were writing to raise concerns about the security of the Duchess of Sussex. Although the letter did not contain information specifically relating to security, it did include a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.
“The letter was assessed and then passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The allegations contained in it were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
“In recent days, the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards conducted an initial review of the actions taken after the letter was received in 2019.
“Following that review, a voluntary referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to the decision not to notify other law enforcement agencies and the decision to pass the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
DON’T MISS: 10 House Races That Could Determine Control of Congress
“We also intend to make a number of referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies concerning the allegations contained in the letter. That process is already under way and will be completed in the coming days.”
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham earlier this month
Thomas Sr recovering in a hospital bed after surgery in the Philippines last December
Thomas Jr said last week he found ‘hundreds’ of child sex abuse images in four boxes stored at his father’s home in Cebu in the Philippines, which contained multiple digital devices.
One 35mm photograph reportedly shows a bearded man resembling Mr Markle having sex with a young Asian girl. ‘I have never been in a photograph like that,’ Markle Sr said on Saturday.
Markle Sr denies the allegations, calling them ‘sick lies’ and says he will do ‘whatever it takes’ to clear his name.
He is currently receiving medical treatment in a rehabilitation centre in Florida after having his left leg amputated.
The Duchess of Sussex released a statement last week saying she was first made aware of ‘troubling and disturbing’ allegations about her father after a letter was passed to her by royal protection officers. She added she was given assurances the claims were being investigated.
‘I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,’ she said.
‘I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.
‘I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.
‘Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.’
Today it was reported a court in the Philippines has issued a warrant allowing police in the country to examine the material passed to them by Thomas Jr.
Philippine interior minister Jonvic Remulla previously said the forensics data is expected to be completed in a week, but ‘right now all signs point to a possible sex offender of the grossest kind’.
Although Meghan became publicly estranged from her father in 2018, prior to her wedding to Prince Harry, she last year sent a letter to him informing him she would never contact him again, and he would not meet his grandchildren. She reportedly said this is due to her, and authorities, knowing he had abused young girls.
An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘We have received a voluntary conduct referral from the Met Police, which relates to the handling of a letter it received in 2019 involving allegations of offending.
‘We are now assessing the referral before deciding what further action may be required.’