London, Oct 23 Meghan Markle, the wife of Britain’s Prince Harry, on Friday said she is “deeply distressed” as allegations of child sex abuse images against her father hit the headlines.
The Duchess of Sussex, who recently moved back to the UK with Harry and her children, issued a statement after The Sun newspaper published claims that her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, alleged he had found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines.
It then emerged that the UK authorities had previously informed the former Hollywood actress that the allegations were being investigated.
“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,” Meghan Markle, 45, said in a statement.
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.
“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,” she said.
Her father, Thomas Markle, has been estranged from Meghan since he failed to attend her wedding to Prince Harry on health grounds, and has never met his grandchildren, seven-year-old Prince Archie, and five-year-old Princess Lilibet.
“Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children,” concluded Meghan’s statement.
The Sun reported that Markle Jr told detectives in the Philippines he had discovered “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sexual abuse images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes at the home in Cebu where Markle Sr was living until he returned to the US in May after having a stroke.
Markle Jr, 60, said he had also contacted the FBI in the US even as his father vehemently denied the allegations.
(PTI News)
