Former police chief says Met should have referred Markle allegations to FBI and NCA
Jim Gamble, a former child exploitation chief, says the Metropolitan Police should have referred allegations against Thomas Markle to the FBI and the National Crime Agency in 2019. The Met has acknowledged it did not act on a letter accusing the Duchess of Sussex’s father of paedophilia, prompting questions about whether children may have remained at risk.
Gamble said the force’s usual channels allow serious allegations involving foreign jurisdictions to be shared, while making clear the claims were unproven. The Met is considering whether to refer its handling of the matter to the police watchdog; Gamble said an external investigation was necessary. Markle denies wrongdoing, and police in the Philippines are now investigating separate claims involving child sexual abuse images.
In short
- Former police chief says the Met should have alerted the FBI in 2019.
- The force did not act on a letter alleging child abuse.
- Markle denies wrongdoing as a Philippine investigation continues.
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The case for
Serious allegations involving possible child exploitation and more than one country warranted prompt referral to the FBI and the National Crime Agency, even though they were unproven. Sharing them could have helped the relevant authorities assess any risk to children and decide whether further action was justified; an independent review could establish whether the Met followed its procedures.
The case against
An allegation in a letter is not evidence of wrongdoing, and passing it on without adequate assessment could unfairly harm a person’s reputation or trigger disproportionate scrutiny. The Met may have had legitimate reasons to assess the information under its own procedures before involving foreign or national agencies, and an external investigation should be based on evidence of a handling failure rather than pressure created by the seriousness of the claim.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Met should have passed on child sex abuse allegations against Thomas Markle to the FBI, former police chief says”.