Met faces questions over uninvestigated allegations against Thomas Markle Snr
The article questions why the Metropolitan Police did not refer allegations in a 2019 letter about Thomas Markle Snr to authorities who could investigate them. It argues that the apparent lack of follow-up needs explaining, while stressing that the allegations are unproven and Markle denies them.
The letter was written by Markle’s late first wife, Roslyn Loveless, and sent to the Met’s Fixated Threat Assessment Centre. It reportedly alleged that he had travelled to Thailand and the Philippines for sex with minors; Loveless’s daughter Samantha described her as not credible. Former child-protection chief Jim Gamble said the Met could have shared the information with overseas authorities, warning that children may have faced extended exposure to possible abuse.
In short
- The Met received an unverified allegation in 2019.
- The article questions why overseas authorities were not informed.
- Thomas Markle Snr denies the claims.
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The case for
The Met should explain whether it assessed the allegations and why it apparently did not refer them to authorities able to investigate, including overseas agencies. Even unverified information may warrant careful, proportionate follow-up when it concerns possible sexual exploitation of children, since delay could leave children at risk.
The case against
The letter’s allegations are unproven, Markle denies them, and a family member has questioned the writer’s credibility; passing such claims on without adequate assessment could cause serious reputational harm or unfairly expose someone to suspicion. The Met may also have had reasons to judge the information unreliable or outside its remit, so scrutiny should establish what it knew and considered before concluding that it failed in its duties.
Explained simply
The Metropolitan Police is the force responsible for policing London. Its Fixated Threat Assessment Centre handles concerns about people whose behaviour may pose a risk to public figures or others; it is not itself a specialist overseas child-protection agency.
Thomas Markle Snr is the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. In 2019, his late first wife, Roslyn Loveless, sent the centre a letter containing allegations about his travel to Thailand and the Philippines. The claims have not been proven, Markle denies them, and Loveless’s daughter Samantha has questioned her credibility.
The issue is whether information received by the Met should have been passed to authorities able to assess it, including agencies abroad. That matters because allegations involving possible harm to children may require investigation, while any action must take account of the reliability of the information and the rights of the person accused.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “AN WILSON: The one question about the horrible Thomas Markle senior saga that must be answered… and why there are now fears of a ‘nothing-to-see-here’ cover-up. This could be so damaging to the royals”.