New Zealand HeraldA New Zealand parents who disappeared with his three children into the country’s forest three years ago has been officially seen with them for the first time in decades.
A national search has been under method for Tom Phillips since he took Ember, 8, Maverick, 9, and Jayda, 11, away from their family home in December 2021, after a disagreement with their family.
Police believe they have been hiding and camping in the North Island’s western Waikoto region and and earlier this year posted an NZ$ 80,000 ( £37,200 ) appeal for information.
The incident last year came from a group of teen pig hunting who had been trekking through the shrub and filmed the experience on their phones.
New Zealand internet reported the youngsters had momentarily spoken to one of their kids- asking if someone knew they were it. They had replied “only you” and kept walking, the father of one of the youth told New Zealand’s 1News.
The youth reported that Mr Phillips had been carrying a firearm and had a longer hair while the kids were masked and carrying their own packages.
New Zealand Authorities have described the incident as” credible”, and said it was “positive knowledge” for family.
” We know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider home,” said Det Insp Andrew Saunders.
While there have been a number of reported sightings of Mr Phillips- this is the first day he is believed to have been seen with all three of his kids.
New POLICEThe footage was shot on 3 October in a bush area of Marokopa, with police becoming aware of it at about 19:00 local time ( 06 :00 GMT ) that day. That prompted a three- time hunt involving police and army aircraft.
In the movie, Tom Phillips can be seen leading his babies through the tough terrain. They are all wearing colour clothes.
Speaking to the New Zealand Heraldnewspaper on Thursday, the mother of the children, Cat, expressed her relief that they were still alive and that her children appeared well enough to be carrying their own bags.
She accused her ex-partner of using the kids as “pawns in his activity”.
“They if n’t have to be worrying about where they’re going to sleep that day or whether they’re going to be comfortable,” she told the paper.
She even said officials should be doing more to track down her ex-partner, and appealed to those she believed were helping her ex-husband.
New Officers
New Zealand AuthoritiesAuthorities have said they believe Mr Phillips is being helped by other factions.
In June, authorities offered the cash reward for information which would lead to the safe return of the children – although the offer expired before being claimed.
Police said the youngsters had not been in contact with other people in the past three decades, and had not received an education.
” We believe that Tom and the kids are being assisted and we’re urging people who’s doing this to satisfy stop, do the right thing and tell police what you know,” said Det Insp Andrew Saunders.
Last month, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Mr Phillips over his feared presence in a bank robbery in Te Kuiti, a small town in the North Island.
Authorities said he had an accomplice during the alleged incident, and cautioned the public against approaching him as he was perhaps armed.