British police received allegations about Meghan’s father
London’s Metropolitan Police said it received a letter in January 2019 containing claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom. The force passed…
British police received allegations about Meghan’s father in a letter in January 2019, but did not share the details with other law enforcement agencies, London’s Metropolitan Police said Saturday. The force passed the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, citing concerns about the duchess’s security.
The force is now reviewing how it handled the matter and considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Authorities in the Philippines have separately confirmed an investigation into claims concerning Thomas Markle, who denies possessing child sexual abuse images.
What the Metropolitan Police said
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said a review of its records confirmed the letter contained “a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.” It was sent to the force’s MPS Protection Command, which handles concerns related to the Duchess of Sussex’s security.
“The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness,” the force said. “The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.”
The statement did not say whether police opened an investigation or took further action at the time. The force said it is examining its handling of the matter and deciding whether a referral to the watchdog is necessary.
The timing differs from Meghan’s account. In a statement Friday, she said she was informed of “disturbing allegations” against her father in 2018. Her spokesperson said she “may have been mistaken by a few months,” according to NBC News. A spokesperson for the duchess also described any discrepancy of a few months as an understandable consequence of the time that had passed, the BBC reported.
Separate investigation in the Philippines
Authorities in the Philippines have confirmed they are investigating claims that Thomas Markle kept child sexual abuse images at his home there. The BBC reported that the matter was being investigated by an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force.
Philippines Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said national police had secured Markle’s computer for a digital forensic examination, according to the BBC. The reports about the alleged images were first carried by The Sun, which said Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., had informed police after finding images among belongings at his father’s home.
Those claims remain allegations. Thomas Markle has denied them. In remarks reported by Yahoo, he called the accusations “sick lies” and said, “I could never do what I’m being accused of.”
Meghan said she was deeply distressed by the allegations and that the letter had been shared with her after it was sent to police. She said she had been assured the claims were being investigated. Her statement also said she had kept her distance from her father and did not allow him contact with her children to protect them.
The difference between a letter handled as a security concern and information shared with other police agencies is now central to the Metropolitan Police’s review. The force has not said whether it will refer the matter to the police watchdog.
“The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach,” the force said.
Source: nbcnews.com
