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UK police reveal they received letter making ‘a number of claims’ about Meghan Markle's father in 2019
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they received a letter making "a number of claims" about Meghan Markle’s father in 2019.
As previously reported, Thomas Markle Snr. is under investigation for alleged possession of child pornography.
A report released by The Sun states that the 82-year-old was reported to police by his own son, Thomas Markle Jnr., who alleged that he found the horrific images at his father's former home in the Philippines.
The Metropolitan Police are reviewing how allegations were handled
Meghan, 45, released a statement released to the publication, speaking about the "troubling and disturbing" allegations. She also revealed that the claims were passed to her in 2018.
The Metropolitan Police have now revealed that a letter making a "number of claims" relating to the Duchess of Sussex's father was received by them in 2019.
They said it passed the information to the office of the Duke and Duchess but did not share it with other law enforcement agencies.
"Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom," they said in a statement, per BBC News. "It was sent to the MPS Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex.
"The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
"The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach," they added.
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Meghan Markle says she was warned about her father in 2018
In a statement released on Friday, the Duchess of Sussex expressed her anguish over the allegations and explained why she had kept her distance from her father.
"I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed," she penned.
Meghan has been estranged from Thomas Snr. since 2018, when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry.
"In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me," she wrote. "It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated."
She hopes that "it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them."
"I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families," she continued.
"Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children," she added.