"In a dark, grimy dugout in the middle of the freezing New Zealand bush, the three Phillips children lived with their father. Childhood is measured in increments; birthdays, lost teeth, certificates, a felt tip on a height chart. In the version of reality Tom Phillips created and controlled for his children, it's hard to know how time was marked. But from 9 December 2021, when their father took them from their mother"
"This week, after almost four years on the run, Phillips was found on his way back from a robbery with one of his children. He was shot dead after being stopped by road spikes and opening fire on police, shooting an officer in the head and shoulder. This sparked an urgent search for the two children remaining in the bush. They were found with the help of the other child just a few hours before nightfall the same day."
"The children are now in the custody of Oranga Tamariki, the country's child protection agency, and when and how their mother will be reunited with them is one of many uncertainties left in a case that has gripped people around the world, not least those in New Zealand, who are left with unanswered questions about the horror that unfolded in their own back yard."
Three children lived in a dark, grimy dugout in freezing New Zealand bush with their father for nearly four years. Time in the children's controlled environment was difficult to measure. From 9 December 2021 their father kept them from their mother and family, amounting to 1,368 sleeps before rescue. The father was located returning from a robbery with one child, and he was shot dead after driving over road spikes and opening fire, wounding a police officer. The remaining children were found hours before nightfall and are now in Oranga Tamariki custody amid uncertainty about reunification. The local Marokopa and Waitomo communities are distressed and seek closure.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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