Philippine officials confirmed they are investigating Thomas Markle Sr., the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, after his son reported finding child abuse images in boxes at the father’s home.
Story Highlights
- A Philippine justice official said a task force in Cebu that targets child trafficking and online child exploitation is investigating the matter.
- His son, Thomas Markle Jr., says he found the material in boxes of his father’s belongings and gave a sworn statement to police in Cebu.
- Meghan said she is “deeply distressed.” She said a 2018 letter with “troubling and disturbing allegations” against her father went first to the London police unit that guards the royal family, and was later shared with her.
- Markle Sr. denies the claims. He has not been charged.
What Officials Confirmed
On Friday, October 23, the Philippine Department of Justice confirmed that Thomas Markle Sr., who is in his 80s, is the subject of an investigation. Nicholas Ty, a Philippine justice undersecretary, said the “Anti-Trafficking and Anti-OSAEC” task force in Cebu “is currently investigating the matter.” OSAEC is the government’s short name for the online abuse and exploitation of children. The probe began after his son reported finding the material at the father’s home in Cebu, a province in the central Philippines where Markle Sr. had been living.
Thomas Markle Jr., 60, is Meghan’s half-brother. He gave a sworn statement to child abuse police in Cebu on Thursday, October 22, according to reports. “When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad,” he said. He says the images were in four large boxes that held his father’s belongings, including old phones and hard drives. He also says he contacted the FBI, according to reports. The FBI has not commented publicly.
Meghan Breaks Her Silence
Meghan responded in a statement on Friday. She said she is “deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours.” She said that in 2018, “a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection,” the London police unit that guards the royal family. She said the letter was later shared with her, that it made “troubling and disturbing allegations against my father,” and that she was told the claims were being looked into.
Meghan has been estranged from her father for years. She said she kept him away from her children, Archie and Lilibet, “for one reason: to protect them.” She said her “sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served.”
The Family’s Denials
Markle Sr. denies the claims. “I have never downloaded anything like that in my life,” he said, according to reports, and he called the allegations “sick lies.” He was in the United States getting treatment for a stroke and a blood clot when his son says he found the material, according to reports.
His daughter Samantha Markle, Meghan’s half-sister, has defended him. “These revolting allegations have no foundation whatsoever,” she said. She says the computers were packed in Mexico, stored in a basement in the Philippines and later moved to her brother’s house, and that they were out of her father’s hands for about two years. She accused her brother of trying to ruin their father out of anger over being cut off from the family’s money.
What Happens From Here
The Philippine task force is reviewing the claims. No charge has been filed against Markle Sr., and investigators have not released any findings. The FBI and London police have not commented publicly on the case.
For a family that has fought in public for years, this is a far more serious matter than a feud. The case rests with investigators, and the father, the son and Meghan have each put their positions on the record.
Sources:
thesun.co.uk, people.com, pagesix.com, nypost.com
