When a serious allegation hits the headlines, two things should happen. The facts should be checked, and the people who may have been harmed should be taken seriously. Neither should be too much to ask. Yet the history of the Jeffrey Epstein/ex-Prince Andrew scandal shows how badly the authorities and the powerful institutions around them can fail.
Reports say that Thomas Markle Snr, who now lives in the United States, is at the centre of allegations after his son, Thomas Markle Jr, claimed to have discovered suspected child sexual abuse material among belongings stored in the Philippines. Markle Jnr says he reported what he found to the authorities, including the FBI.
But if there’s one thing we learned from the Epstein-Andrew case, it’s that “assessing” and “investigating” aren’t the same thing, and just because you report a crime doesn’t mean it will be investigated.
The FBI has reportedly acknowledged receiving a submission - but that doesn’t establish that the Bureau has opened an investigation. Philippine investigators are also reported to be examining the matter, although the details haven’t been established through publicly released findings. No charges have been reported.
These are serious allegations that deserve proper investigation. If children have been harmed, their welfare must come first. Justice means following the evidence, wherever it leads. But let’s not pretend that an allegation must have been properly dealt with simply because somebody has passed it to the police.
Just look at the long and painful history of Jeffrey Epstein.
In 2005, the family of a young girl reported to police that Epstein had sexually abused her. Other girls and young women came forward. Yet the handling of the case in Florida led to a deeply controversial deal in 2007, followed by Epstein's guilty plea to state charges in 2008. Victims were not properly informed about the federal agreement. A later review by the US Department of Justice found that victims hadn’t been treated with the openness and sensitivity they should have expected.
People came forward to report abuse, yet the system meant to protect them failed to treat them as it should have. The consequences lasted for years.
The Epstein files, released in large numbers by the US Department of Justice, have brought renewed attention to the people, institutions and decisions surrounding the case. Again, there are a number of reports contained in the files, but that doesn’t mean investigations followed, much less criminal charges.
The same story emerges when we look at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Virginia Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager; he denied the allegations. In 2022, he settled her civil claim without admitting liability.
The Metropolitan Police also received allegations in 2015 relating to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. It decided in November 2016 not to proceed to a full criminal investigation, and reviewed that decision in later years. In 2025, the force assessed separate claims that Andrew had asked his protection officer to check up on Giuffre. It said it had found no additional evidence that would justify opening a criminal investigation into those claims.
A report can be received without an investigation following, even in the most serious cases involving harm to vulnerable people. And when institutions fail to act properly, it’s often victims who pay the price.
The Epstein scandal isn’t simply a story about one wealthy man, and his privileged friends, including a British prince. It’s a story about girls and women who came forward, about the way their claims were handled, and about how long it took for the public to see the full scale of the failure.
That’s why we should demand evidence, independent scrutiny and clear answers from the authorities. We should ask whether complaints have been properly assessed, whether victims have been protected, and whether any decisions not to investigate can withstand scrutiny.
No one should be protected from scrutiny by wealth, status or connections. And no victim should have to spend years wondering why a report about what they suffered wasn’t taken seriously.
The standard should be the same for everyone: investigate fairly, follow the evidence, protect those who may have been harmed, and tell the public honestly what is known and what is not.
That’s not a demand for a witch-hunt. It’s a demand for justice.