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Uncertainty lingers regarding whether Tom Phillips’ children have visited their mother since being discovered safe in the wilderness.
Phillips, who had been evading authorities with his children Ember, 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, for almost four years, was fatally shot on Monday morning in western Waikato on the upper North Island.
Phillips and his daughter Jayda were at the scene of the police confrontation. It is believed that she assisted the police in finding her siblings at a secluded campsite.
All three children are now in the care of police and the government’s Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children.
Their mother, Catherine, who hasn’t seen them in four years, expressed her thoughts on Monday, sharing her relief that the ordeal had concluded.
‘First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki (children) this ordeal has come to an end,’ she told Radio New Zealand.
‘[The children] have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
‘Simultaneously, we are saddened by the course of events today. We always hoped the children would be returned peacefully and safely for everyone’s sake.’
After the police found her children following the fatal shooting of their fugitive father, Tom Phillips, the mother of the missing Marokopa children, Catherine (pictured), has spoken out.
Phillips (pictured) was killed during a shootout with police on Monday after four years at large
The New Zealand Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children would not be drawn when asked by the Daily Mail whether Catherine would be allowed to visit her children.
‘I am constrained in the amount of information I can share,’ spokesperson Warwick Morehu said.
‘The Family Court are actively managing this case, and we will comply with the directions they give us.’
Mr Morehu said the department had been preparing for the return of the children since they went missing, adding they were being well looked after.
‘I can confirm the children had a settled night, they are doing well under the circumstances and engaging with the staff supporting them,’ he said.
‘Going forward, I have an experienced and dedicated team of staff assigned to this. They are prepped and ready to respond to whatever needs these children might have.’
In the meantime, Catherine has asked the public for privacy while working with the authorities to secure the safe return of her children.
‘We also extend our aroha to those in the community who have been affected, and our heartfelt gratitude to the many people who have supported us over these past four years. Your compassion has sustained us,’ she said.
Ember, 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, are currently in the care of authorities after spending almost four years on the run with their father. They are pictured with their mum, Catherine
‘As a whānau (family), we are now attempting to work in cooperation with the relevant government agencies to support the safe return and reconnection of our tamariki.
‘They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment.’
Phillips vanished from the rural town of Marokopa on the North Island in December 2021 with his three children following a custody dispute with their mother.
Despite an NZ$80,000 reward and multiple search operations, the family had been living in the wilderness ever since.
On Monday morning, Phillips and Jayda were spotted stealing from a PGG Wrightson farm supply store in Piopio.
A witness called police at about 2.30am, describing them as being in ‘farm clothing’ and wearing headlamps.
Phillips and Jayda took off on their quad bike, but were stopped by police road spikes about 33km away on Te Anga Road at 3.30am.
Phillips then confronted a lone officer and shot him in the head with a high-powered rifle.
Police located Phillips’ two youngest children at a remote campsite (pictured) hours after the New Zealand fugitive was shot dead by police
When backup arrived, police returned fire, killing Phillips.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said the officer shot by Phillips spent ‘a good chunk’ of Monday in surgery with serious injuries to his head and shoulder.
Police and mental health experts have raised fears the children, while physically safe, may have been traumatised by the ordeal.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the children have ‘seen and been exposed to things that children in our country should not be’.
Police said they would spend the next few months investigating whether anyone was involved, adding the children would be given time to settle before being interviewed.
Authorities have released images of the campsite where Phillips’ two youngest children were located at hours after he was fatally shot.
Quad bikes were pictured parked among dense forest, with blankets draped over them. Firearms were also recovered at the campsite.
Examinations at the scene of the fatal shooting, about 2km from the campsite, remained ongoing on Tuesday.
