&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Meghan Markle ‘deeply distressed’ by allegations against estranged father, says she was aware since 2018")
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, says she is ‘deeply distressed’ by the reports alleging her estranged father, Thomas Markle Jr has kept “child sexual abuse” images at his home. She also said that she was made aware of an investigation into “troubling and disturbing allegations” against her father in 2018 by a notification from the Metropolitan police. She also emphasised that despite several media speculations about her estrangement from her father, she was trying to protect her children.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.”
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me.”
“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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
The investigation was sparked by Meghan's brother, Thomas Markle Jr who reported to the Philippines child protection authorities about a discovery of "hundreds, if not thousands" of explicit images and videos spanning multiple electronic devices, hard drives, and old mobile phones packed inside boxes of his father’s belongings.
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No criminal charges have been filed, and Thomas Markle Sr. has strongly denied the claims, calling them "sick lies". His eldest daughter, Samantha Markle, has also disputed the account, calling them fabricated lies.
