By Ahmed Abdelsalam
The Metropolitan Police has voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its handling of a 2019 letter that raised concerns about the security of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The force said the letter contained claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom but no specific security information.
Letter contained allegations against father
The letter was addressed to the Met's protection command, specifically the fixated threats assessment centre. Its author suggested they were writing to raise concerns relating to the Duchess of Sussex's security. While the letter did not contain security-related information, it included a number of claims about alleged offending outside the UK, understood to involve the Duchess's father, Thomas Markle Sr.
Met passed letter to royal office, not other agencies
The Met assessed the letter and passed it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. However, the details of the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at the time. Commander Adam Slonecki, who leads the Met's protection command, confirmed the letter was received in January 2019.
Review prompts referral and overseas referrals
Following a recent review by the Met's directorate of professional standards, a voluntary referral was made to the IOPC regarding the decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies and the decision to pass the letter to the royal office. The Met also intends to make referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies concerning the allegations in the letter, a process now under way.
Philippines investigates alleged abuse images at father's home
The announcement comes as police in the Philippines investigate suspected child sexual abuse images reportedly found at Thomas Markle Sr's former home. Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, told the Sun he had found a stash of such images and reported it to local police and the FBI. Markle Sr has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines but denies possessing illicit material.
