It's being made by Julie Christie, who’s produced lots of great television in the past, particularly reality TV.
There are camera crews following police officers and being given access - if you want to call it that - behind the scenes, the kind of access that the average media crew can't get.
Now, personally, I think this documentary needs to be killed off immediately.
I do not blame the police for saying yes to this documentary in the first place.
If it hadn't ended this way - with Tom Phillips trying to kill a police officer and then being shot dead in response in front of his daughter - it might have actually been a good idea to do this documentary.
It might have shown the efforts that the police have gone to over the last four years to track him down, the consideration that they've put into it, the care that they've taken. It might actually have been really good PR for the police.
But now, what it is, is mainly just a threat to these kids' future.
It is going to be hard enough for these children to find a way to be normal in a country that is obsessed with what has happened to them over the last four years.
By the time that this documentary comes out - it might be two years, five years, ten years, who knows, because documentaries aren’t put together fast - who knows?
Hopefully, we will have moved on as a country and be interested in other things.
And all a documentary like this is going to do is remind us - and the world, who are fascinated by what happened to the Phillips kids - about this case all over again.
And we will hit Google and we will remind ourselves of what the kids looked like and what their names are and what happened to them in the bush.
Children should never be punished and tortured for the stupid things that their parents do and the bad decisions that their parents make. They deserve the right to as much anonymity as possible and just the chance to live a life free of what their parents have done.
I don't think that the media, that I belong to, should publish their photos anymore.
No one should take a photo of them as they look right now, having come out of the bush, and this documentary needs to be called off.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.
23 comments:
You are quite right Heather. Continually bringing it all back to life will be to the detriment of the children and wider family.
I agree with Heather. However, I am not that confident about OT. I would also like to know that those who broke the law and assisted Tom Philips are held to account.
How about a in-depth documentary on police’s bungling in trying to arrest and charge one of three only available choices, apparently, for the killing of baby ruthless empire two years ago?
Interviews could include solicitor-general una jagose, the Maori party, the greens, tamatha Paul on defunding the police, assorted psychologists , gang bosses …. The kapa-kingis …. The works.
Totally agree with you, Heather. It is a big pity the Police have agreed to this publicity of death, serious physical and mental wounding and estrangement, especially with children involved. I hope the Police Commisssioner, who seems a very sensible person, will reverse that decision.
If what is stated here as being "possible action", then to me it "smells of an organization wanting to cover their tracks".
There is more to this "saga" than will ever be release and sadly because of that "speculation" along with misinformation/disinformation that already prevails, will not solve this crisis, nor offer clarity to what has happened and why it took place.
Nor help when wishing to put in place remedial actions into the future, to prevent a similar incident.
To overcome that either Oranga Tamariki & the Police, once the "dust" has settled - explain to the NZ Public the 'real truth', not a shade version or version that has elements redacted due to "sensitivity issues".
Failure to do that, will across the years create further speculation along with added mis & dis information - and when the children at a later age, are recognized and confronted, what ever they say then - 'will not be believed'.
Sadly Heather, your comment re "children & parents bad decisions" has been a prevalent issue that has longevity for New Zealand.
Reality drama queen Dame Julie Christie wants you to believe the Tom Phillips story is the documentary New Zealand needs. Exclusive access, behind the police cordons, shadowing detectives as they deal with a father who wanted to keep his children close. Christie calls it “really important to me,” yet not a single journalist, not even Shayne Currie of the Herald, thought to ask the obvious: important how? Spiritually? Commercially? Or just because Netflix buyers don’t do toddlers bludgeoned in Taitā lounges?
Important? Why? Because the story is marketable? Because the footage sells offshore? Because nothing tickles the international buyers like a Kiwi backblock drama with police and family at the centre? Christie has been in reality TV long enough to know that the messier the human wreckage, the juicier the product. But no one on the ground — not Currie, not the other media whispering about “exclusive access” — pressed her on why this story was suddenly the centre of her universe, while others rot in obscurity.
Two years ago a baby known as Ruthless Empire was killed. The file is still unsolved. Police say there are only three suspects, yet nothing moves. No cordon passes for the camera crew. No reality drama queen pitching the global streamers on a documentary about the slaughter of Māori infants in their own homes. That subject, it seems, is too real, too raw, too close to the bone.
The silence is deafening. Where is Solicitor-General Una Jagose, who signs off prosecutions? Where is Commissioner Richard Chambers, quick to defend the PR value of embedding TV crews but unable to close a two-year-old child homicide? Where are the Māori Party MPs who posture about tino rangatiratanga yet say nothing about the killing fields in their own whakapapa? The Greens can summon fury to defund the police or to wave Palestinian flags, but not a word when Māori babies are beaten to death in Auckland flats or starved in Southland baches. Child charities turn the other way, academics write another paper on colonial trauma, and the cycle grinds on.
This is the story Christie could be telling: the needless dying of Maori children in violent ways, and the institutional cowardice that allows it to continue. Instead we get Christie’s cameras rolling on a story that attracts clicks, distribution deals and glossy headlines. And journalist Shayne Currie? He reports the access, the photos, the “exclusive” behind the cordon — but fails to poke, prod or challenge her on the very claim that made the story worth filming. Reality drama queen gets the red carpet; the rest of us get a shrug and a byline.
Baby Ru’s death is not an outlier — it is part of a pattern. According to Stats NZ, Māori children make up just over 20 percent of the child population, yet they account for more than half of all child homicides recorded since 2006. Year after year, the roll call of tiny graves grows longer, while politicians change the subject, academics rationalise, and the media looks away. That’s the real national scandal. Not a story that streams well internationally, but a country unable — or unwilling — to stop its own children being buried before they’ve even started school. Until that story is told with the same urgency, all we’re doing is curating tragedy for export while ignoring the a major tribal issue at home.
100% agree. With the top ranked police huge media involvement brings to mind the comment "methinks they doth protest too much' Sad case and none of anyone's business. The fact that the children were both well and cared for, unlike the daily reports of children that are not, says it all.
Heather! Of all people.
Freedom of the press. I'm shocked you dont know that this documentary is about selling advertising time by whoever screens it. Surely you would know that given your career? Yes let's pretend it never happened and everyone can feel better.
I agree with you entirely, Heather. This whole episode stinks to high heaven. The more time passes on this, the more the police are going to be seen negatively for what they have done. It was never going to be easy for these kids to come out of the bush. By killing their father, they have made it a thousand times more difficult. Now, the police and numerous media personalities are falling over themselves to try and convince us that Phillips was no hero. I am sure I am not the only person who is sickened to the stomach by such opportunistic, sanctimonious virtue signaling. He may not be a hero, but I am sure he is now being seen as a martyr by virtue of his killing. And ever more so with each new such pile-on.
I find it incredible that in the name of rescuing these children from their plight, the police not only kill their father but then set about to besmirch his reputation to help justify their actions lest we question them. And they set it up so that anyone who chooses to question this narrative can be ridiculed for trying to turn Phillips into a "hero". Even in death though, he is entitled to some defense from these one-sided posthumous attacks. Where is his side of the story? What prompted him to embark on this extraordinary venture in the first place, and subsequently to keep it going?
In their efforts to exonerate themselves from what they have done, the police and their mainstream apologists are already heaping more and more unnecessary torment onto these kids that they will have to deal with in the future. And now a documentary on this from the police's perspective? Haven't they done enough already?
I think Richard Chambers will be playing himself.
I agree totally, Heather.
This documentary must be stopped right away.
The children have had enough stress and torment. They definitely do not need to be reminded of it all down through the years. The topic has had extensive detailed media coverage already and the important thing is recovery for the children.
ANY sort of doco, especially at this point is definitely a bad... and CRUEL idea. Any got any idea of the trauma the kids have faced, the good grandparents have faced, and all will face ongoing??
And God alone knows what caused the rift between the kids parents. Oranga Tamareeekee needs to watch itself too. I see -n a s t y- race games.
Generally agree. Would be great to learn that the three beatiful children have integrated smoothly and fully into the world. But we are told that no one can exist in a rental unless a fortune has been spent on high liability and use limiting underfloor and ceiling insulation, ground moisture barrier, extractor fans, fixed heaters etc to avoid perpetual illness, so it is of interest how four can live in concealed hence shaded damp bush in tenting conditions for four years apparently without grievous health detriment. A documentary would also publicise the hugely extensive but laregly hiddeen grief experienced by doting fathers when relationship failure is near certain to effectively isolate their children from them.
(Incidentally maori custom involved living in smilar conditons without access to woollen or other warm clothing. But like other dubious practices, yet another aspect of traditional culture maori do not insist upon)
Fully agree. Await BIGTIME BUNGLING by Oranga Tamareekee.....
And these present children are at least 50% pakeha. [Know the family - good educated cultured farming people] Something STINKS from way back. Tom clearly a psychologically distressed party not wanting a certain lifestyle for his kids..... and OT has barely begun work....
AGREE..... this will turn into a Maori-Pakeha racist diatribe soon. Police best shut mouths - asap...
Trying to suppress a story or documentary just because "you don't like it" is nefarious and undemocratic.
Perhaps some truth and lies will be exposed?
Maybe the NZ public have been misled by the authorities?
How were the final moments actually played out?
An impartial investigation by a professional journalist and documentary maker would be welcome.
Trying to forget a tragedy or dismiss history will not help prevent future tragedy.
Maybe we might learn something valuable? which is reason enough.
I agree with Heather for once. The media should leave this one alone. All of the children are alive and well. That is enough for now.
Firstly my thoughts and sympathies are with the family of Mr Phillips and the wounded police officer.
Man walked on the moon more than half a century ago. We can analyse the gas in the atmosphere of stars millions of light years away. Yet in 4 years the police can't find a man and 3 children that in all probability were within 10 km of Marakopa most of that time. Did they try hard enough ? Most probably not.
There seems to be little evidence of police having created a positive and proactive relationship with Mr Phillip's family or the wider Marakopa community in an effort to bring this matter to a much better closure years ago. Or to make use of the myriad of modern technologies available to help them locate the group.
What is revealed however is the police could manage to organise a film crew to follow them round in what has always been a totally grotesque and offensive lack of judgement. Oh how much Ms Christie's crew must wish they had been tagging along two nights ago. Did the police put makeup on when they were in front of the camera ?
That the police allowed this matter to fester on for 4 years only increased the likelihood of a less than optimal outcome. Did any of the police planning, non planning or misplanning envisage two police officers laying road spikes in a remote rural area in the dark of night and lying in ambush, waiting for Mr Phillips to meekly surrender at the point of their gun ? Most probably not
But such a lack of judgement is not unusual for our police force..
When the police broke up the covid protest in Parliament we witnessed on national television 3 policemen kneeling on a mans chest whilst repeatedly punching him in the face. We also saw two police officers dragging a woman along the ground by the roots of her hair.
Two decades ago we saw the police essentially arrest a whole village at Ruatoki in the Eastern Bay Of Plenty. Men , women , children, grandparents forced out of bed at gunpoint in the pre dawn darkness. Held in detention against their will. No one was charged as a result of this raid. Again a wildly reckless lack of judgement.
And 18 months ago the police meekly stood by watched as gangs shut down the town of Opotiki for most of a week. The police inaction again an outrageously poor lack of judgement.
And now we see a hideous incident in which a child witnesses her father killed in front of her and a policeman terribly wounded.
There can't possibly have been any police planning or consideration for such a tragic and appalling outcome.
Anon at 3.05pm. One could also say equally strongly that dame Julie is suffering from selective , curated cultural blindness. There are other more important issues for her to cast a forensic eye over, surely, but she finds this Phillips case, “very important” to her.
Heather DPA has a start, but it doesn’t go far enough. ALL reckons about this incident need to be stopped. Some comments in this very thread being examples of things that the world is better off not having to put up with!
For Anon @ 3:05 PM - the 'Producer of said Doco' does not do "revealing" so that we may learn from.
If that was the case, then all previous incidents 'of a similar nature', if doco's had been made, many NZ Govt departments 'might' have learnt something from & employed tactics to reduce another event - sorry that has never happened, nor will it.
Nor have Commissions of Enquiry helped, they tend to produce a "Report" that has more impediments than corrective action - which over time "people forget or ignore".
Oh and notice it is about Police actions, within this case.
So what about one on Oranga Tamakiri -
- and their involvement in this specific case
- or on what they do on a daily basis and what their actions do or not do in the protection of children, interviewing parents who have had to endure their interventions and then abide by the outcomes & directives of both OT & The Family Court.
People might just sit an learn, that would fit into your last statement of you comment.
I am sorry to say Heather, you are on the wrong side of the street here with regard to documentary. The story must be told somehow and what better time than when the issue is fresh in the mind. So long as it does not intrude on anyone’s privacy or turn the Phillips family into public property. Over the years we have had all manner of books written about historic cases. These days how different is a TV doco to printed or internet material?
There are a lot of questions however. Do the Police have veto rights as they have had in the production of other Police reality programmes? Police administrators will be holding considerable sway in what is approved and not approved. If the Police blundered anywhere during the four years we will never be told.
Other points. The Police could have a fix on whoever might have been helping Tom Phillips. Those people would have had all sorts of good reasons for doing so. I wouldn’t question them. For instance: three growing children would have had to be reclothed over four years. Question: since when was it a crime to love thy neighbour?
Police should say pass on that one and use their time on more pressing matters. Small communities run by their own rules and usually close ranks when it is to their advantage. In the end Tom Phillips lost his way and at that point was performing a criminal act. Hero? He was up to the very last day certainly a hero to three children.
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