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New Zealand inquiry faults agencies over children hidden in forest for years

A public inquiry found police and child protection agencies underplayed risks to three children taken by their father, Tom Phillips, in 2021; the government apologized to the children and their mother.

Updated Sep 16, 2026 · 11:50 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • A public inquiry released Tuesday found that police and Oranga Tamariki underplayed, minimised or overlooked the harm to three children isolated by their father, Tom Phillips, for significant periods.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • The inquiry found concerns raised by the children's mother and relatives were often minimised as a parenting dispute, and it identified missed opportunities including a failure to act on a 2023 sighting.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Phillips died in a police shootout on 7 September 2025; the children were found with a cache of guns at a makeshift campsite and have since been in authorities' care.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other officials apologised to the children and their mother; officials have not disclosed where the children live or who is caring for them.[ABC News · BBC News]

Key facts

  • The public inquiry was launched in November 2025 to examine how government agencies handled the case.[ABC News]
  • The inquiry's report, released Tuesday, said harms from Tom Phillips isolating his children were underplayed, minimised or overlooked for significant periods by police and Oranga Tamariki.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • The inquiry found concerns raised by the children's mother and relatives were often minimised as part of a parenting dispute.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Phillips vanished with his children—then aged five, seven and eight—from Marokopa in December 2021, not for the first time.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Phillips died in a police shootout on 7 September 2025 in Piopio; the three children were then found with a cache of guns at a makeshift campsite and placed in authorities' care.[ABC News · BBC News]
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other officials apologised to the children and their mother after the report.[BBC News]
  • The inquiry found Phillips was not completely cut off from the outside world, citing a February 2022 visit to his mother and an August 2023 shopping trip where he spent nearly NZ$6,000.[BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • Officials have not disclosed details of where the three children live or who is caring for them, and some details of the case cannot be legally reported.[ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.