Thomas Markle under Philippine probe: Duchess cites 2018 warning
Meghan Markle states she was informed of allegations against her father seven years ago while the Philippines investigates the 80-year-old over child abuse materials.
By Samir Nasser ·
The Philippines has opened a formal investigation into Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan Markle. This comes as the Duchess of Sussex revealed she has been aware of serious allegations against him since 2018.
In a statement sent to CBS News on Friday, Meghan described herself as "deeply distressed" by the reports. She said a letter containing "troubling and disturbing" claims about her father was sent to the Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. Meghan noted that the letter was subsequently shared with her and that she was given assurances the matter was under investigation.
The Metropolitan Police indicated it is not currently investigating Thomas Markle. A spokesperson for the force said it is aware of media reports regarding the 2018 letter and is conducting internal enquiries to confirm the details.
The probe in the Philippines was confirmed by the Department of Justice on Friday. A state official told the Philippine News Agency that the department’s anti-trafficking task force is handling the case. The agency reported that an octogenarian American national left child abuse videos and photos in his home in Cebu province.
The Sun reported on Thursday that Thomas Markle Jr. reported his father to authorities. The younger son allegedly found the materials in storage boxes at the family home while his father was in the United States receiving treatment for a stroke and blood clot. He reportedly first saw some of the files on an old cell phone and later contacted the FBI hotline, the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, and Pennsylvania state police in July.
Thomas Markle Sr. denied the claims in a report by the Daily Mail on Friday. He stated, "I have never downloaded anything like that in my life," and called the accusations "sick lies."
Meghan addressed her estrangement from her father in her statement. She said she chose to limit his contact with their children to protect them. "I hope 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," she said. She added that her "sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children."
Source: CBS News
