Meghan says she knew about her dad's alleged crimes back in 2018
London investigators verified the document's arrival and forwarded it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, though Meghan Markle states she received it in 2018.
By Layla Fontaine ·
London police have verified the arrival of a 2019 letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. A Scotland Yard spokesperson confirmed the document's existence to CBS News on Saturday. The Metropolitan Police stated they passed the letter to the couple's office for their awareness. No other law enforcement agencies received details of the claims.
The confirmation arrives after a week of intense media scrutiny. The Sun reported on Thursday that Thomas Markle Jr. reported his father to Philippine authorities. The younger Markle claimed he found child abuse materials in storage boxes at the family home. On Friday, reports indicated Philippine officials were addressing Markle over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. Markle denied the allegations to The Daily Mail on Friday.
Meghan addressed the developments in a statement sent to CBS News on Friday. She described herself as deeply distressed by the news. She said she had known of the allegations since 2018. Her statement claimed the letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018. She noted that the letter made troubling and disturbing allegations against her father. She added that she was given assurances the matter was being investigated.
The duchess explained her limited contact with her father as a measure to protect her children. She stated that her decision to restrict contact had one reason: to protect them. She expressed hope that the public could understand this despite media distortions over the years.
The two accounts differ on the year the letter was received. Meghan cited 2018, while Scotland Yard confirmed 2019. A spokesman for the duchess told BBC News that any discrepancy of a few months was an understandable consequence of the passage of time. The Met has announced it will review how the matter was handled in 2019. As part of that process, investigators will decide whether to refer the case to the police watchdog.
The review focuses on the internal handling of the complaint. The police have not yet released the specific claims contained in the letter. The next step in the process depends on the outcome of the internal review.
