Philippine police obtain warrant to examine Thomas Markle's devices

Warrant obtained, materials not yet examined

Philippine police have obtained a court warrant allowing them to examine devices seized from the former home of Thomas Markle — the father of the Duchess of Sussex — BBC News reports. Earlier this month, reports emerged that hundreds of images of child sexual abuse had allegedly been found in the house on the island of Cebu.

How the materials reached the police

Last week, Thomas Markle Sr's son, Thomas Markle Jr, handed police four boxes containing computers, phones, hard drives and old video cassettes. However, before the warrant was obtained, staff in Cebu could not begin examining them. Cebu regional prosecutor Graeme Elmidon told the BBC that Markle Jr had insisted on an investigation and believed his father 'must answer for this'. Thomas Markle Sr, who is currently in the United States, firmly denies the allegations, calling them 'sick lies'. According to police, before criminal charges can be considered, it is necessary to establish how the material itself came to be there.

The letter to Scotland Yard and Meghan's position

Last week, The Sun on Sunday reported that Thomas Markle Sr's former wife, Roslyn Loveless, had sent a letter to the London police (Metropolitan Police) regarding the 2019 claims; the BBC understands that the letter was written by Loveless herself and was passed on at the time to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Loveless, the mother of two of Meghan's half-brothers and a half-sister, divorced Markle in 1975 and had already died by the time of the publications. According to the BBC, the Metropolitan Police are examining reports about this letter. The Duchess, who broke off relations with her father in 2018, confirmed on Friday that the letter exists and stated: 'I am deeply shocked... my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.' She added that she hopes people will understand why she has largely cut off contact with her father and 'does not allow him to be in contact with our children'. According to the BBC, she told her father of the break last year, saying that he and the authorities had known about the abuse of girls he had committed.

Context and what remains unknown

Thomas Markle Sr moved to the Philippines last year after a series of strokes and lived in Cebu until May; he is now, according to reports, in a rehabilitation facility in Florida, where he is learning to walk again after having a leg amputated. Markle Jr apologised to Meghan in an interview with The Sun for previously taking his father's side, saying he had 'defended the wrong person for nine years'. Human rights advocates describe Cebu as a known hotspot of child sexual exploitation, and local authorities say they treat such claims with the utmost seriousness. Neither the origin of the seized material nor whether the examination will lead to criminal charges has yet been established; the warrant merely opens the possibility of examining the contents of the devices.

Image source, ITV / Shutterstock