Inquiry into New Zealand man who hid his kids in forest for years lambasts officials’ actions — Live Feedhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/inquiry-into-new-zealand-man-who-hid-his-kids-in-forest-for-years-lambasts-officials-actionsContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. New Zealand government apologizes after inquiry into Tom Phillips kidnappinghttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/inquiry-into-new-zealand-man-who-hid-his-kids-in-forest-for-years-lambasts-officials-actionshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/inquiry-into-new-zealand-man-who-hid-his-kids-in-forest-for-years-lambasts-officials-actions#u73936Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:46:02 +0000The New Zealand government has apologized to the children of Tom Phillips after an inquiry found state agencies failed to protect them. The investigation revealed that police and Oranga Tamariki missed red flags while Phillips hid his children in the bush for years. Findings show the investigation was hampered by the presence of a Netflix documentary crew and a failure to act when a woman photographed Phillips in her car. Phillips also conducted daytime shopping trips, spending nearly $6,000 on items including knives and lighters while remaining a fugitive.Why it mattersTom Phillips kidnapped