Child and adolescent clinical psychologist Sarah Watson says the next chapter for the Marokopa children following the death of their father Tom Phillips was going to be “very complex and tricky”.
Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, are in the care of family and Oranga Tamariki following yesterday’s dramatic conclusion to more than 1000 days missing.
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One of the children was with their father when he was fatally shot early yesterday, after a police officer was injured in a shooting.
The other two were safely recovered from a remote campsite that afternoon.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said information provided by the first child recovered helped ensure the other two were safely found.
Speaking to Breakfast, Watson spoke of the challenges the children would face.
“The fact they’ve been isolated from so many people that they knew beforehand, and had one person as their main person for the last few many years and at such formative ages,” she said.
“It’s going to be so traumatic, not only for the one that was there, but also for the two kids that didn’t know where their father was.
“You can only imagine how scary it would be for all three.”
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She was asked what the impact of nearly four years of isolation could have on them.
“They’ve gone from the stage where your parents are everything and started merging into that kind of identity development stage. That need and want to do things by themselves and be part of their peer group… and yet they’ve been isolated.”
They were likely “very susceptible and vulnerable to the messages they’ve been given by the people around them”.
“And now with this change, potentially a real crisis for their identity, and who they are, and their relationship with other people.”
Reintegrating them back into normal life would be a step-by-step process, as they were would be vulnerable to feeling overwhelmed and confused.
One of Tom Phillips’ children was found at the scene and is now in police custody. (Source: 1News)
“A lot of complicated feelings for such young ones.”
It would be important to reintroduce them to the main people that they are going to be with, and then gradually other people at their own pace.
Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said the death of their father would be a tragedy for them.
“My message to the children is that they are important, like all other children in Aotearoa New Zealand and the priority needs to be on listening to them and understanding their experiences and their needs and to meeting those needs over the coming weeks and months.”