William Page (Photo courtesy: Outagamie County court/Zoom)
WARNING: Some details of this story may be disturbing to readers. Discretion is advised.
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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Greenville man faces child abuse charges for allegedly causing multiple injuries to his 6-week-old son, so serious that a prosecutor said: “We are lucky this is not a homicide.”
William Page, 35, is charged with physical abuse of a child, repeated acts intentionally causing great bodily harm, and strangulation & suffocation.
During an initial appearance Thursday, Page’s bond was set at $100,000 cash. He does not have an attorney, so a status conference was scheduled for Oct. 23.
In asking for a high cash bail, Outagamie County District Attorney Melinda Tempelis detailed the injuries and Page’s accounting of them.
“Again, this baby is six weeks old. He has significant, significant injuries. We are lucky this is not a homicide. But it’s a Class B felony for the injuries that are being alleged,” Tempelis said.
According to the criminal complaint, the Page’s wife brought their baby to a Neenah hospital on Sept. 29 due to injuries on the child’s mouth.
The mother told police she had seen Page strike the child’s chest about a week prior. Page had ‘angry outbursts’ while caring for the boy, she said.
When police interviewed Page, he confirmed the troubles he was having.
“Bill stated that he had set Victim 1 down before and “punched walls, hit doors, slammed doors, hit my bedside table, there’s a wall down there I kind of beat at to release anger.” Bill also stated that there have been emotional outbursts where he was yelling at his wife. Sgt. Fitzpatrick asked what was causing this, and if it was Victim 1 and his colic and Bill stated “yeah, for me like it gets to the point, like, like I was talking to my pediatrician, like, er my physician, where like my anger, you know, for typically like it just builds, builds, builds, builds… but lately with the colic, which is him crying constantly and so high pitched it seems like my anger will just like, all of a sudden just like snap…it’ll be there and snap which is obviously why I want to get back on medication.” Sgt. Fitzpatrick sked Bill if he ever hit Victim 1, and Bill stated “I slapped him once”,” the complaint states.
At times, Page admitted he squeezed the boy so tightly the child went limp.
“Bill stated he held Victim 1 tightly against him and he went limp and was crying on Saturday. Sgt. Fitzpatrick asked Bill how many times he held Victim 1 to his chest so tightly to the point where there would be less crying and his body would go limp, and Bill indicated “maybe once every four or five times.”,” the complaint states.
Page told police the injuries could have been fatal.
“Sgt. Fitzpatrick asked Bill if he thought he could have killed Victim 1 and he responded “It’s possible, but not meaning to, yes, it could have happened, yeah,” the complaint states. “Sgt. Fitzpatrick advised Bill he would be taken into custody for physical abuse of a child and Bill stated, “I don’t know why this is considered abuse…this isn’t intentional.”
Among injuries documented: seven rib fractures, clavicle fracture, fractures to both femurs, eye hemorrhage, chest contusion, and a wrist fracture, the complaint states.
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