Meghan Markle's father ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation in child abuse case

Court orders psychiatric evaluation

Federal judge Lindsey Griffin in Tampa, Florida, has ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Thomas Markle, 82, the father of Meghan Markle, to establish whether he is mentally competent to respond to the criminal case against him. In a two-page order issued on Friday, 6 November, Griffin said Markle's first court appearance raised doubts about his competence, because he told the court he did not remember certain matters. She stated that she had reasonable grounds to believe he may have a mental disease or defect that leaves him unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings or to help in his own defense. The judge also pointed to his advanced age, his memory gaps and information about his health that the order does not spell out. The order is not a diagnosis and does not decide whether he can ultimately be tried. Psychiatrist Amy Gerodimou, who specializes in forensic psychiatry, was appointed to carry out the assessment, and her report is due in court by 20 November.

The charge and the seized material

Markle was arrested in Florida on Friday, 6 November, and faces one federal count of possessing child sexual abuse material. According to an FBI affidavit filed with the court, the count covers two obscene photographs showing him posing with a nude minor girl, along with other images of him with naked or partly naked children. Authorities say a witness identified the man in two of the photographs as Markle. One picture shows a nude girl in a room that appears to belong to a motel chain in the Philippines, a country where Markle lived for some time in the past. Agents seized the material, part of a collection that also included slides, photographic negatives and books, from storage units in Los Angeles that he had rented since 2008.

Hearing and release

No plea was entered at the Friday hearing. The judge allowed Markle, who had been held in custody, to be released on personal recognizance, on condition that he stay under home confinement with electronic monitoring. Daily Mail reported that he had been living in Lakeland, Florida, where he was staying in an assisted living facility. The federal public defender appointed to represent him, Mary Claire Wolfe, did not immediately comment. It is not yet known whether he has dementia or another illness that would stop him from standing trial.

Reaction and next steps

FBI Director Kash Patel commented on the case on the same Friday as the hearing, saying Markle targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal acts. The court will examine the question of competence on the basis of the psychiatrist's findings, not on the initial appearance alone. The evaluation order is a procedural step and does not by itself resolve the charge. The key dates reported so far are set out below.