A 14-year-old boy was questioned in Kampot Provincial Court yesterday over the alleged murder of his eight-year-old neighbour, police said.

Officers found the girl’s body in a canal in Teuk Chhou district on Tuesday near the village where the children had lived.

Initially, it was thought that the girl had fallen in and drowned, said Nob Chanpheap, the deputy district police chief. But police suspected foul play when they found injuries on the girl’s neck and her gold earrings missing.

Police arrested the teen that evening.

Chanpheap alleged that the boy later told officers he had been ferrying the victim on the back of his bike on Tuesday morning when he decided to kill her near a quiet bridge.

“The suspect was questioned and sent to the provincial court for legal proceedings.”

Prosecutors are considering charging the teenager with premeditated murder, said Sao Sam Oeun, deputy chief of the provincial central justice office.

The charge will be decided by prosecuting judges, Sam Oeun said. He added that prosecutors are taking the case very seriously because of the young age of the suspect.

Premeditated murder carries a sentence of life imprisonment.

Neither the victim’s nor the suspect’s families could be reached for comment.

 

To contact the reporter on this story: Lieng Sarith at [email protected]