A 7-year old girl from the republic of Buryatia is suspected of having killed her younger friend for refusing to let her try on her earrings, regional investigators said Wednesday.
The body of a 5-year old girl was found Tuesday by her mother in the Kuitunka river near the village of Nadeino. The initial examination revealed scratches and bruises on the victim's body, the regional investigators said.
The crime was solved quickly when investigators established that the murder had been committed by a juvenile from the same village as the deceased.
The suspect told investigators that she was with her friend near the river when a quarrel broke out between them. After the victim refused to let her wear her earrings, she beat her with a tree branch, then pulled her to the water and pushed her head beneath the surface holding it there until the girl drowned.
Police are conducting additional examinations and questioning eyewitnesses, the report said.
Despite the suspect's tender age, investigators have decided to open a criminal case into the incident.
It is the second recent tragedy involving the death of a child in Buryatia.
Last week, a 10-year old girl was murdered by schoolchildren who wanted to steal the 1,000 rubles ($30) she was taking to her great-grandmother. The culprits then burned the girl's body.
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