Inquiry into New Zealand man who hid his kids in forest for years lambasts officials’ actions
The inquiry said police and Oranga Tamariki missed chances to protect the Phillips children and failed to share key concerns about their isolation.
- On Tuesday, a government inquiry released a damning report finding that New Zealand police and Oranga Tamariki "underplayed, minimised or overlooked" the harm caused by Tom Phillips during his four-year isolation of his three children.
- Phillips first disappeared with his three children in September 2021 for 18 days, yet officials failed to act with sufficient urgency and missed later opportunities including a 2023 sighting to intervene before the final disappearance.
- Oranga Tamariki staff told a family court the children were "completely fine" while failing to report concerns from the maternal family, deceptions inquiry head Simon Moore found lacked "key and critical explanations" regarding risk.
- New Zealand Minister of Social Development Louise Upston apologized, admitting agencies "did not take all practical steps" to protect the children, while Malu conceded the report made for "difficult and at times harrowing reading."
- The government has accepted all nine inquiry recommendations, including amending the Oranga Tamariki Act and ensuring police reports of potential danger are "understood, rather than listed" by child protection agencies.
29 Articles
29 Articles
My Mother Lode
Inquiry into New Zealand man who hid his kids in forest for years lambasts officials’ actions
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A major inquiry into the case of New Zealand man Tom Phillips, who hid his children in dense forest for years before he died in a police shootout, has criticized officials for not taking seriously enough the harms and risks to the children early in the saga of their disappearance....
Inquiry into New Zealand man who hid kids in forest for years slams officials’ actions
A major inquiry into the case of New Zealand man Tom Phillips, who hid his children in dense forest for years before he died in a police shootout, has criticised officials for not taking seriously enough the harms and risks to the children
Associated Press News
Inquiry into New Zealand man who hid his kids in forest for years lambasts officials' actions
A major inquiry into New Zealand man Tom Phillips, who hid his children in a forest for years before dying in a police shootout, criticizes officials for not taking the risks to the children seriously.
Inquiry into New Zealand man who hid his kids in forest for years blasts officials
A major inquiry into New Zealand man Tom Phillips, who hid his children in a forest for years before dying in a police shootout, criticizes officials for not taking the risks to the children seriously
Radio France Internationale
New Zealand agencies missed red flags in child kidnapping case: inquiry
Tom Phillips was shot dead by police in September 2025 after nearly four years hiding with his three children in the rolling hill country of the North Island's Waikato region. He had eluded capture by setting up several camps in dense bush and despite several sightings by the public and on CCTV. A report on Tuesday into the handling of the case by authorities found a number of red flags were raised about Phillips prior to the kidnapping -- the s…
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