Meghan Markle clarifies timeline over letter about father's allegations

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 00:02 · Archive

Meghan Markle has issued a clarification after a date discrepancy over when she became aware of allegations against her father, Thomas Markle.

Meghan Markle issued a clarification this weekend after the Metropolitan Police confirmed they received a letter in January 2019 containing allegations about her father, Thomas Markle. This contradicted the Duchess's statement on Friday, which had said she became aware of the allegations in 2018.

A spokesperson for the Duchess defended the timeline slip, saying that recalling events from more than seven years ago without a diary entry or contemporaneous record could lead to mistakes of a few months. The statement said: 'If the MPS holds a time-stamped record confirming that the letter was reviewed in 2019, that should be treated as the accurate reference point for when it was received and shared with the Duchess.'

The Independent reports that the Metropolitan Police had misplaced its own copy of the letter and asked the Duchess for her copy after the allegations recently came to light. Police acknowledged they did not pass the letter to other law enforcement agencies and said they were 'reviewing its handling' of the matter. The allegations stem from claims that child sex abuse material was found at Thomas Markle's house in the Philippines. Thomas Markle denies the allegations.

How it is being reported

• Met ‘misplaced letter sent to Meghan Markle over father’s sex abuse allegations and asked her for copy’The duchess of Sussex shared her copy of the letter with police after the original was misplaced, it has been reportedThe Independent · 26 Oct, 23:45
• Meghan Markle issues new statement over Thomas Markle letter after 'discrepancy'The Duchess of Sussex has been forced into a clarification over an apparent timeline blunder.Daily Express · 25 Oct, 09:08

In this story: Meghan Markle · Thomas Markle · Metropolitan Police · Philippines

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