Met police received 2019 letter alleging Thomas Markle offences abroad
The Metropolitan Police confirmed it received a letter in January 2019 containing claims of alleged offending by Thomas Markle outside the UK. The letter was sent to its Protection Command, which passed it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness; the force says the claims were not shared with other law enforcement agencies and is reviewing its handling.
The confirmation follows Meghan’s account that allegations in a letter shown to her in 2018 led her to keep her father away from her children. Philippine authorities are investigating claims that Markle possessed child sexual abuse images, which he has denied. His son Thomas Markle Jr reportedly handed police four boxes of material and says they contain hundreds or thousands of images; the Met is considering whether to refer its handling of the matter to the police watchdog.
In short
- The Met confirms it received a letter about alleged offending in 2019.
- It passed the letter to the Sussexes, but not to other law enforcement agencies.
- The force is reviewing its handling as Philippine authorities investigate claims Markle denies.
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The case for
The Met’s decision to pass the letter to the Sussexes may be seen as a reasonable way to alert people potentially affected by serious allegations, especially if the information did not meet the threshold for sharing with law enforcement elsewhere. The force is reviewing its handling and considering a watchdog referral, which could establish whether its actions followed proper procedures.
The case against
Critics may argue that allegations involving possible child sexual abuse images warranted prompt assessment or referral to the relevant authorities, rather than being shared only with the Sussexes. If the letter contained credible information, failing to pass it to law enforcement could have delayed inquiries and left potential safeguarding concerns unaddressed.
Explained simply
The Metropolitan Police is London’s police force. Its Protection Command helps assess information relevant to the safety of people who receive police protection; in this case, it passed the 2019 letter to Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, for their awareness.
Thomas Markle is Meghan’s father. Philippine authorities are investigating claims that he possessed child sexual abuse images, which he denies; his son has reportedly given material to police. The case has drawn attention to how allegations involving someone abroad are handled and shared by UK police.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Met police say they DID receive letter about Thomas Markle in 2019 – as force ‘reviews its handling of the matter’”.