LONDON (AP) — British police confirmed Saturday that they had sent a letter reporting alleged offenses committed by the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussexhim in 2019, but said he had not shared details with other law enforcement agencies.
Prince Harry’s wife Meghan said on Friday she was “deeply distressed” by allegations that a collection of child sexual abuse images was found in a former home of her father. Thomas Markle Sr. She released a statement after a British tabloid reported that her brother found the images while cleaning their father’s house in the Philippines.
She also referred to a letter containing “disturbing and worrying allegations” against her father which was sent to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Royal and Specialist Protection Unit, who then shared the contents with her.
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they had received a letter in January 2019 “containing a number of allegations relating to alleged offenses outside the UK”.
He said that while officers had shared the letter with Harry and Meghan’s office, they had not shared the allegations with other law enforcement agencies – and that he was currently reviewing how he handled the matter and considering whether the force should be referred to the police watchdog.
Meghan married Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018. They have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Thomas Markle Sr., retired television lighting and photography director, was not present their marriagecausing widespread media coverage of Meghan’s estrangement from her father. Meghan said her decision to distance herself was intentional to protect your children.
“While the scale of what has been uncovered is more sickening than anyone 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,” Meghan said in Friday’s statement.
Thomas Markle Sr. was living in the Philippines earlier this year when he suffered a stroke and had his left leg amputated. This forced him to return to the United States
The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr. recently found “hundreds, if not thousands” of images of child sexual abuse in boxes in his father’s former home in the Philippine city of Cebu, while he was clearing out the property. Markle Jr. told the newspaper that he reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.
In the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag told The Associated Press that the FBI had requested his help in investigating Markle Jr.’s allegations against his father.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla separately told the AP that the national police were also investigating Markle Jr.’s allegations against his father, without elaborating.
Markle, 82, denied the allegations in comments to the Daily Mail newspaper.
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