Twin's fears for brother

Peter Thompson. Photo / Chris Skelton

Police and health authorities have promised to help two twin brothers who lived the first 16 years of their lives behind the closed doors of their darkened Auckland home.

Now aged 23, John Thompson has escaped his past and is close to completing a history honours degree at Auckland University.

But he spoke yesterday to the Herald on Sunday about his fears for his brother, Peter, who has returned to the house where the two spent their childhoods in seclusion.

"He has gone straight back to what life was like before we left," John said. "His hair is long, I think he looks sad."

When the two were taken into Child, Youth and Family care at the age of 16, they had hair reaching below their waists, which John said had not been cut since they were 5 years old.

They spoke with American accents, from childhoods spent watching cartoons on television.

They were home-schooled until the age of 9, when their mother returned to work. After that, their main education was from television history documentaries.

The boys were taken out of their Manurewa home after their mother killed herself in 2003. They were put in the care of their aunt and uncle, where they learned basic social skills such as eating with a knife and fork and interacting with other people. They attended school for the first time.

But Peter has returned to the house, where he lives with his father, Aubrey Thompson, and another man, Henry Boroevich.

The men denied John's account of his childhood.

"He had a very happy upbringing," Aubrey Thompson said. "Both boys were home-schooled by their mother ... They were happy, well-adjusted boys."

Though both expressed sadness that John would not return home, Boroevich said he had never interfered with John's decision to live his adult life away from the Milan Rd house.

He said Peter was adequately cared for at the house. "Peter's welfare is fine. He is in the hands of a competent medical team. He is safe with me," Boroevich said.

The house was sold this week - according to the real estate agency, by "court order" - and the three must move out next month.

Sergeant Dean Duthie, the officer who discovered the pale, long-haired boys, said he would ask Papatoetoe police to keen an eye out for Peter to ensure he had somewhere to go.

And the boys' psychiatrist will liaise with health authorities to ensure they keep an eye on Peter's wellbeing, John was told this week.

John said he loved his brother and worried about his return to the curtained brick house in suburban South Auckland: "I think about him a lot, especially now. I care about him, he needs help."

Despite written authorisation from John, Child, Youth and Family did not respond to Herald on Sunday questions about reasons for the boys' removal from the house.

But John Henderson, the agency's operations general manager, said he was "thrilled" to hear about John's pending graduation. He said it was rewarding to help families like John's through difficult times and "it is pleasing to see that all of his hard work is paying off".