Minneapolis pastor, son charged with assaulting boy; 12-year-old beat with wood, electrical cord

Published 9:57 am Wednesday, December 21, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — Authorities say the pastor of a Minneapolis church and his teenage son are accused of beating a 12-year-old boy because he was misbehaving in school and had rejected his faith.

Pastor Dong Wook Kim and 19-year-old Joo Seong Kim are charged with second- and third-degree assault and malicious punishment of a child. Prosecutors say they beat the boy with a piece of lumber, a wooden rod and an electrical cord last week.

A criminal complaint says the boy was found wandering the streets after fleeing from the Good News Church. A neighbor took the boy in and called police. The complaint says he was treated at a hospital.

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The Star Tribune  says Kim told police the beatings were simple discipline done at the request of the boy’s parents.