The Metropolitan Police's internal watchdog referral follows revelations that Scotland Yard gave a handwritten letter containing child sexual abuse claims against Thomas Markle to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Investigators will examine why the force never alerted relevant external agencies and reportedly had to request a copy back from the royal couple after failing to retain one. The Duchess of Sussex explained the letter prompted her to sever ties between her father and children under the assumption police were investigating. Thomas Markle and his daughter Samantha have strongly denied all the allegations, which have also surfaced in separate claims filed by his son in the Philippines.
Key points
The Independent Office for Police Conduct will determine why the Metropolitan Police with…: The Independent Office for Police Conduct will determine why the Metropolitan Police withheld the letter from relevant external law enforcement agencies.
Meghan cut contact between her father and her children after reading the correspondence b…: Meghan cut contact between her father and her children after reading the correspondence because she believed authorities were actively investigating the claims.
Thomas Markle has firmly denied all of the allegations, while his daughter Samantha has p…: Thomas Markle has firmly denied all of the allegations, while his daughter Samantha has publicly dismissed the claims as completely fake.
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The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police complaints watchdog over its handling of a letter with allegations against Thomas Markle, which was handed to his daughter, the Duchess of Sussex, in 2019.
The letter, written by Markle's first wife Roslyn Loveless, is believed to have contained claims about Meghan's father and child sexual abuse.
Markle has strongly denied recent allegations that he had possessed images of child abuse.
The force said it had voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) "in respect of the decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies, and the decision to pass the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
The Met added it intended to to make further referrals to "relevant overseas law enforcement agencies", a process which it expected to be completed "in the coming days".
The letter that will be considered by the IOPC was sent to the Met's royal protection team by Roslyn Loveless, who divorced Thomas Markle in 1975 and died in 2024.
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