University of Michigan graduate student charged with child abuse
A University of Michigan graduate student is accused of hitting his two sons repeatedly below the waist with a small baseball bat on Monday to punish them, University of Michigan police said.
Gibeum Kim, 38, is free on a personal recognizance bond after being arraigned Wednesday on two counts of third-degree child abuse, police spokeswoman Diane Brown said.
Officers took the children, both under the age of 12, to the emergency room at the University of Michigan Hospital after the incident at Northwood Community Apartments, police said.
Both suffered "substantial bruising," Brown said. Police responded after the mother of the children called to report the incident, a police incident log says.
Kim, who is from South Korea, is studying for an MBA, according to the university's online directory. He could not be reached for comment this morning.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison on each felony count.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
A2Raven
Tue, Sep 28, 2010 : 10:17 a.m.
@thatstoobad I'm glad to hear that you had a happy abuse-free childhood. I do understand that it is not every Korean household that behaves in this manner. My sister-in law's parents never laid a hand on her or her brother and dote on them to the extreme... same with a lot of other families that he knows. But, as a teacher, he does see a wide spectrum of situations and, while I'm sure the subject is much more nuanced than I understand, evidence of corporal punishment or abuse is never reported by school officials nor is it much commented upon in the Korean media or the population at large... or if it is, to a much much lesser extent than here.
chester
Sun, Sep 19, 2010 : 7:15 p.m.
I really hope that Mr.Kim is not living in the home with the children. He needs to be reminded that this is not his homeland where abuse is very common. I hope that just because he is an online student at the University he does not get special treatment. He shoukd be convicted to the fullest.
thatstoobad
Mon, Aug 16, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
@jenniferscroggins- I am South Korean, and I have to say that corporal punishment may be prevalent in your brothers eyes, but it is by no means acceptable. Growing up, I was never beaten by my parents for bad marks in school (and believe me, I got them), nor were any of my friends. And I would also like to add- I'm sorry to Wolverine for the abuse you had to suffer. That sounds unimaginable. But that being said, India and South Korea are two different worlds completely.
julieswhimsies
Fri, Aug 13, 2010 : 12:12 p.m.
Any information about an alleged child abuser's status is relevant. The alleged abuser was a UM grad student. It is relevant. Why not?
Wolverine3660
Fri, Aug 13, 2010 : 7:41 a.m.
YpsilantiResident- the fact that the person is a U-M Grad student is a very relevant part of the story. Therefore, that bit of info was included.
YpsilantiResident
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 9:59 p.m.
Just out of curiosity... what does her being a U of M graduate student have anything to do with the story? I mean... if he was a cashier at Target, would the story read "Target Cashier charged with child abuse"? Just sayin.
Wolverine3660
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 3:05 p.m.
to contonue with Jennifer's coment. I grew up in India, and attended a allegedly "elite" private school. It wasnt uncommon to see classmates show up to school with black eyes,and other serious bruises, the kind which would never be tolerated here. My Mom ( who I have no contact with cuz she was so abusive), sent me to school regularly with black eyes and other bruises. No one there, the teachers or other folks in the community even thought that there was anything wrong at all!!!! During my 6th grade year, a classmates father father actually beat him to death, all over a bad report card. He was never even prosecuted. His older brother who recently found me via Facebook is a banker in Charlotte, NC, and we have discussed this incident, with a great deal of sadness. Would you believe it, he was never even prosecuted for a murder.
A2Raven
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 1:54 p.m.
I can't speak for the author's intent, but I do know (because my brother has been teaching English in Seoul for the past 3 years) that corporal punishment is rather prevalent in Korea, both at home and in the public schools. Of all the cultural differences that he has had to adjust to this has been the most difficult, and he says that it is not unknown for a child to take home a bad report card and return the next day to class with bruises.
metoo
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 12:23 p.m.
Sorry, I now see that this happened at Northwood Apartments on north campus. It either slipped by my attention or it was edited in after my first post. Still a little confused on the other points I note above.
metoo
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 12:16 p.m.
It looks like my original comment was deleted so let me try to clean it up. I feel for the kids. If guilty, this guy should be locked up for a long, long time beyond what is reported in this article. What I don't get about this story is the fact that it is pointed out (in the title no less) that he is 1. a Grad student at UM and 2. Korean. I see that UM police handled the situation. So did this happen on campus? In campus housing? Is that why is education status is relevant? Maybe it is noted because he should be brighter than his action indicate since he is pursuing his MBA? Is it pointed out that he is Korean because this is somehow socially acceptable over there?
mom in SE Michigan
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 12:10 p.m.
My husband and I lived in the Northwood family apartments on north campus for 5 years, in the early 1990s. The apartments were well kept and the environment felt very safe and cohesive. Families would often get together to socialize, especially outside in the summer. My husband and I recently visited the Northwood apartments and were shocked at how shabby everything has become. This report of a father physically abusing his children, followed recently by an earlier report of a sexual assault on a small child in UM's Northwood apartments makes me wonder what is going on and what the University is going to do about it. The dismal condition of family housing on north campus and the recent police reports of abuse of children living there reflects badly on the University, in my opinion.