New Zealand apologises to Phillips children after inquiry finds agencies failed them

September 16, 2026 at 10:47 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon apologised on Wednesday to the three children of Tom Phillips, who spent years in hiding with their fugitive father until his death in a police shootout. The apology followed an inquiry that found authorities missed opportunities to protect the children and underplayed the harm of their isolation. The report criticised police, child protection agency Oranga Tamariki, the defence force, and the education ministry for failing to coordinate and for minimising concerns raised by the children's mother.

Key Facts

The inquiry found that agencies involved 'underplayed, minimised or overlooked' how significant periods of isolation harmed the children.
Police did not initially launch a search and rescue operation because of a 'misconceived view that there were no concerns for the children's welfare'.
Phillips visited his mother without the children in February 2022, receiving NZ$1,000 in cash and food.
During an August 2023 shopping trip in the Waikato region, Phillips spent nearly NZ$6,000 in a single day on food, children's clothing, gardening supplies, fishing gear, knives and lighters.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also apologised to the children's mother, acknowledging they were 'let down through this process that spent four years in the bush'.

Inquiry Findings

Former High Court justice Simon Moore authored the report as the sole member of the inquiry. The report criticised various agencies for 'often minimising' concerns raised by the children's mother, including those around firearm safety, as part of a parenting dispute. Among the 'missed opportunities' identified were a handful of reported sightings of Phillips and his children that agencies could have more promptly followed up on. The inquiry found that Phillips was not completely cut off from the outside world, citing his February 2022 visit to his mother and his August 2023 shopping trip.

Government Apology

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday that 'there were missed opportunities... and we're sorry about the impact that it's had on those children'. Luxon also apologised to the children's mother, acknowledging that they were 'let down through this process that spent four years in the bush'. Apart from the prime minister, other government representatives have also apologised and accepted the inquiry's findings.

Phillips' Movements

Police later released photographs of what they believe to be one of many squalid campsites where Phillips hid with his children, showing a stash of firearms, ammunition and cans of beer surrounded by dense vegetation. Through interviews with Phillips' family members, the inquiry found that he visited his mother without the children in February 2022, during which she handed him NZ$1,000 in cash and food. He also managed to move through the community during an hours-long shopping trip in August 2023, visiting various businesses in the Waikato region. He spent nearly NZ$6,000 in a single day on a haul of goods including food, children's clothing, gardening supplies, fishing gear, knives and lighters.