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I’ve really surprised myself. Because, even though I think it’s totally shameful that people have been helping Tom Phillips keep his kids in hiding for nearly four years, I’m torn when it comes to how important it is that these people face consequences for their actions. 

To the point where I’ve realised that it’s not as important to me as I thought it would be to me. 

Locals in the area are already poo-pooing the chances of the police tracking them down. Especially if they’re going to rely on people dobbing them in or people giving themselves in. 

Local farmer and former Waitomo mayor Mark Ammon is one of them. He says it’s unlikely. 

He says: "If it was me, I'd be just keeping quiet and hoping whatever leads the police get, didn't lead to me.” 

He reckons the vast majority of locals back the police, but he doesn’t think anyone will pipe-up because everyone knows everyone and, even though they support the police, they won’t want to narc. 

He does say though that it may also depend on the three children’s willingness to share information. 

Which brings me to psychologist Kirsty Ross, who is saying some really interesting things which I think are relevant to the likelihood of them spilling all the beans. In the short-to-medium term, anyway. 

She’s saying today that they will have been told a story that justified their father’s decisions and actions, saying “they’ve been in an echo chamber for four years”.  

“They will have been a really tight unit. This was such an impressionable age when they were taken and four years is such a long period of time to have one person as their sole protector, provider, teacher. That influence cannot be underestimated.”  

It can’t be underestimated. And what I would add to that is, can it be undone? Can that influence over four years be eroded to the point where the kids are happy to give away details of who has been helping their father? And who’s to say they even know?  

Which is why the likes of Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad are saying today that these kids are going to have to be treated with the proverbial kid gloves. Which is not going to involve much drilling for information, is it? 

But back to how I’m feeling about the police setting out to find the people who have supported their father while they've been in hiding. And why I’m torn about it, even though I think these people are despicable for what they’ve done.  

Here are the reasons in my head as to why the police should go after them. If they provided the firearm used to shoot the officer the other morning, then they have blood on their hands. And by enabling Phillips to keep his kids hidden for so long, this person or these people have been complicit in denying the kids of all the things kids shouldn’t be denied – time with both their parents, an education, freedom. I could go on.  

But here are the things I’m thinking about that make me wonder whether it’s worth the police even trying.  

First and foremost, the kids are back safe. That’s been the number one priority, and it’s been achieved.  

Secondly, from what we’re hearing, the locals are very unlikely to narc on their neighbours and the people who have been involved are very unlikely to come forward.   

And, finally, I think because of what that psychologist is saying about them being in an echo chamber for nearly four years, it’s unlikely that the kids will spill too many beans.  

It’s for those reasons, that finding these supporters is not as important to me as I thought it would be.