Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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[M] The nation watched with urgency as police searched for Tom Phillips and his three children. But as the search faded from the headlines over the following three years, so too did the voice of the woman left behind. For the first time since her children were found, Cat Christey tells her story.

She says the nightmare began long before Phillips disappeared into the bush, revealing years of coercive control, psychological abuse, and a relentless fight to be believed.

She also raises troubling questions about the response of police and support agencies, offering a powerful new perspective on one of New Zealand's most compelling and misunderstood cases.

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Made with the support of NZ On Air & Te Māngai Pāho.