The mother of the three Marokopa children in hiding for three years in rugged Waikato backcountry with their fugitive father Tom Phillips says she is “deeply relieved” there is an end in sight.
A critical incident is under way in rural Waikato after Phillips was fatally wounded in a shoot-out and a police officer was wounded in the head.
Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers confirmed the man killed was Tom Phillips, although formal identification is yet to take place.
Cat, the mother of Jayda, Maverick and Ember Phillips, told RNZ she was looking forward to seeing her children shortly before police confirmed Tom Phillips’ involvement in the early morning incident in which a robbery was taking place and ended in a shoot-out.
“We are deeply relieved that for our tamariki this ordeal has come to an end,” Cat said.
“They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
“At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded today. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.”
She described feeling a “wave of complex emotions” after being told the latest developments.
Cat expressed her “deepest aroha” to the police officer injured in the shoot-out.
“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.
“As a whānau, 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.”
Rogers told media at a press conference that police have only located one of the children, with the remaining two still somewhere in the district.
Police are now turning their focus towards finding the missing children with Te Anga Rd cordoned off for the coming days.
“We are making urgent inquiries to locate Tom Phillips’ other children, who we hold serious concerns for,” said Rogers.
“We are actively seeking them as we speak.”
“The child located at the scene is being provided wraparound support and we will not be providing any other comment at this time on their location.”
Speaking to the Herald last year, Cat questioned why more hadn’t been done to find her children in the years since Tom disappeared with them in December 2021.
She urged those suspected to be helping Phillips to put a stop to what she called “child abuse”, and to tell authorities what they know.
“It doesn’t get any easier ... It’s been nearly three years.”
Cat spoke to media at the time that footage emerged of Phillips and his three children tramping through remote central North Island farmland.
The father and his children were filmed by pig hunters wearing camo gear and carrying large packs through the bush.
“They shouldn’t have to be worrying about where they’re going to sleep that night or whether they’re going to be warm.
“It’s like every day [I’m] grieving ... the loss of three childhoods, the loss of innocence, the loss of my babies, they deserve better.”
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