MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee court commissioner struggled to maintain composure Thursday as he described the death of 4-year-old Dante Campbell as potentially "the worst case" he has ever seen during initial court appearances for the boy's parents.
Devario Cruz, 21, and Charlotte Kurek, 31, appeared in court facing charges in connection with Dante's death. The boy was pronounced dead at Children's Hospital on Oct. 18.
"You allegedly beat a four-year-old child to death, literally, with your bare hands as if that child was a grown man," Court Commissioner Barry Phillips told Cruz during the hearing.
Phillips took multiple pauses throughout the proceedings as he reviewed the 17-page criminal complaint detailing allegations of severe abuse.
"I'm almost having difficulty being composed myself, that's how bad this case is," Phillips said.
Watch: Milwaukee court commissioner calls child abuse case 'the worst I have ever seen'
The complaint outlines allegations of a long pattern of severe abuse from Cruz, including forcing children to stand on Legos, hitting them with wood, and striking the 4-year-old with a chair.
A responding officer noted in the complaint that the injuries were "the most extensive and severe injuries that I have witnessed on a child."
"That child had injuries from his head to his toe," Phillips said.
The court commissioner directed harsh words toward Kurek, who sat visibly upset during the hearing, telling her she chose Cruz over protecting her children.
"Your children claim that they have been beaten mercilessly by the co-defendant in this case on a regular basis, and all you had to do if true was call the police and get him taken out of your lives," Phillips said.
Phillips issued a no-contact order preventing Kurek from having contact with her other children.
"You don't deserve to be a mother to those children right now," Phillips told her.
"If the allegations in this criminal complaint are true, this death was preventable," Phillips added.
Both Cruz and Kurek are scheduled to return to court on Oct. 29.
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