Meghan ‘upset’ by police failure to act on letter about father

Authorities in the Philippines are investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr. possessed a collection of child sex abuse images and videos. According to the Qatar Tribune, Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., alleged he discovered the material mixed with family mementos at his father's former home in the Philippines.

He reportedly informed local police of the discovery and contacted FBI investigators in the United States in July. Thomas Markle Sr. denied the accusations in an interview with the Daily Mail, describing them as "sick lies."

Meghan Markle stated she became aware of "disturbing allegations" regarding her father in 2018. She said she had been shown a letter sent to Scotland Yard eight years prior that made "troubling" allegations, and she was assured at the time that the matter was being investigated. The Metropolitan Police confirmed in a statement to Channel News Asia that it received a letter in January 2019 containing claims of alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.

The Metropolitan Police has stated it is not currently investigating Mr. Markle, nor has it previously, and the force is conducting internal inquiries regarding officers from its Royalty and Specialist Protection command. The Age reports that the duchess was also aware of separate allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. but was reportedly told by police not to discuss them in public.

Nicholas Ty, an undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, told ITV News that an anti-trafficking and online sexual abuse taskforce in Cebu is investigating the matter.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, Qatar Tribune, Channel News Asia — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.