The New Zealand government has launched a high-level independent inquiry into how a father was able to evade authorities for nearly three years while living in the wilderness with his three children, a saga that ended in September when police shot him dead after a robbery.
The case of Tom Phillips, who vanished with his children in December 2021, has sparked national outrage and scrutiny of the government’s handling of the family. The newly announced public inquiry will examine whether officials “took all practicable steps” to protect the children, who were found at a makeshift campsite hours after their father was killed. A police officer was critically injured in the confrontation.
A History of Disappearances and Missed Chances
The inquiry will scrutinize the years leading up to the family’s final disappearance. Phillips had first sparked a massive search three months earlier when his truck was found abandoned on a beach. He reappeared three weeks later, claiming they had been camping, and was due to face charges for wasting police resources when he vanished again in December 2021.
Despite reported sightings and Phillips even committing robberies while in hiding, he remained at large for nearly three years, raising serious questions about the scale and rigor of the police search efforts. A government document establishing the inquiry noted it was clear “that the children’s safety and welfare remained at risk,” especially given the length of their disappearance.
The inquiry, led by former High Court Judge Simon Moore, is tasked with determining if government agencies did enough to prevent the children’s disappearance and recover them. A final report is due by July 2026.
By James Kisoo
