Met Police confirm 2019 father abuse letter went only to Sussex office

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that a 2019 letter detailing allegations of offending by Thomas Markle Sr was sent exclusively to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The force stated that the document was not shared with other law enforcement agencies. This confirmation arrives after reports this week revealed that Markle Sr possessed images of child sexual abuse. The Met is currently reviewing its 2019 handling of the file and considering a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The timeline of the disclosure began in January 2019, when Scotland Yard received the letter. The document raised concerns about offending occurring outside Britain. The Metropolitan Police Protection Command reviewed the material and decided to pass it to the Sussexes' office for their awareness. No other copies were distributed to external forces at that time. The force has now conducted a thorough review of its systems and records to verify these steps.

The public debate reignited on Friday when The Sun reported that Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, discovered the images. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines that he found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and phones stored in four boxes at a house in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in that residence until returning to the United States in May following a stroke. Markle Jr also informed the FBI of his findings. Markle Sr has denied the claims, calling them sick lies in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Meagan Markle addressed the news on Friday through a spokesperson. She described herself as deeply distressed by the reports. She stated that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She confirmed that a letter containing troubling and disturbing allegations about her father had been shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated. She explained that her decision to limit her father's contact with her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, was made solely to protect them.

Markle is estranged from her father, who has never met her children. The royal couple recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the United States. A minor discrepancy arose regarding the date of the letter. Markle initially said it was sent in 2018 but later corrected her statement to 2019. A spokesperson noted that it was understandable for her to be mistaken by a few months when recalling events from more than seven years ago without a contemporaneous record. The spokesperson said that if the Met holds a time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019, that date should be treated as the accurate reference point.

Sources indicated that Markle could not speak publicly about the 2019 letter to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation. They added that speaking out might have led to legal action against her. The Met has not yet announced a final decision on whether to refer the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The force continues its internal review of how the matter was handled nearly eight years ago.