Thai girl, 13, admits killing sister, 7, in fight over toy and mobile phone

A 13-year-old Thai girl has confessed to killing her seven-year-old sister while arguing over a toy and a mobile phone, in a case that has attracted attention online because of the young ages of the suspects.

Police were called to a village in Sangkhla Buri district, Kanchanaburi province, on May 30 after seven-year-old Nong Agnoon went missing. Her body was found in a rubber plantation about 600 metres from her home three days later, according to ThaiPBS.

There were no signs of a struggle or external injuries and an autopsy later found that the cause of death was respiratory and circulatory failure. According to Bangkok Post, an initial examination found there were signs of sexual assault on the body.

More than 40 people – including three Buddhist monks – were questioned, and police took over 25 DNA samples during the investigation.

On Saturday, police announced they had arrested the victim’s 13-year-old sister, Kanda, and 17-year-old uncle, Pae, in connection with her death.

During questioning, Kanda admitted arguing with her younger sister over a toy and a mobile phone while they were playing at about 11am on the day of the disappearance, according to the Thaiger news website.

At one point, she and Pae placed a fertiliser sack over the younger girl’s head and pretended to strangle her, the Bangkok Post reported. The girl suddenly became motionless and when they removed the sack, she had already died.