
New Zealand apologizes to children of fugitive Tom Phillips after inquiry reveals systemic failures
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon apologized to the three children of fugitive Tom Phillips, who vanished into the bush with their father in December 2021 and were not found until Phillips died in a police shootout in September 2025. A public inquiry led by former High Court justice Simon Moore found that police and child protection agencies failed to protect the children, underplaying concerns and missing opportunities to locate them. The government accepted the inquiry’s 41 findings and nine recommendations, acknowledging that agencies did not take all practical steps to safeguard the children’s welfare.













