A 14-year-old girl in Chile has been remanded in custody after admitting to fatally attacking her mother with a hammer following a heated argument at their home. The teenager spent the night beside the body before attending school the next morning and then turning herself in to police.
Incident in San Joaquín flat
The incident took place on Sunday, August 23, inside a 13th-floor flat in San Joaquín, south of Santiago. According to her statement to authorities, a fierce argument broke out between the girl and her 48-year-old mother, identified as G.M.M.M.
During the confrontation, the teenager allegedly grabbed a hammer from near a settee and struck her mother's head repeatedly. She told officers she "saw a large amount of blood at the scene" before changing out of her bloodied clothes and leaving the flat at around 2.15pm.
Night beside the body
She returned at roughly 11pm to find her mother still lying on the floor. The girl draped the body with a bedsheet and stayed inside the flat overnight. On Monday morning, she left the property, with her mother "remaining in the same condition", according to preliminary police documentation.
She then attended lessons as normal. After finishing school that afternoon, the girl voluntarily presented herself at the 3rd Santiago Police Station, where she admitted to the killing. Officers entered the apartment at around 9pm and verified her account.
Investigation and charges
The investigation was transferred to Chile's Investigative Police (PDI) Southern Homicide Squad, working with forensic experts. Their analysis revealed wounds consistent with those inflicted by a blunt instrument, corroborating the teenager's version of events. The details surrounding the dispute are still being examined, including what sparked the altercation and whether additional parties were present.
During Tuesday's court proceedings, the girl faced formal charges of completed parricide and was remanded to a secure youth detention centre pending the investigation. Prosecutor Ariel Cancino, from the Metropolitan South Prosecutor's Office, stated: "The accused caused her mother's death on Sunday. Afterwards, she reportedly went out with her father that same afternoon. The following day, she allegedly attended school as usual. Upon leaving the school, she reportedly went to a police station to turn herself in regarding the incident."
He continued: "This investigation has established, at least at this initial procedural stage, that the accused played a criminally liable role in the events under investigation. She was formally charged, as previously explained, with the crime of consummated parricide."
The court heard claims of prior domestic abuse which might have served as motivation. However, prosecutors revealed their inquiries had uncovered no pertinent reports concerning the deceased. "The fact is that, after reviewing the records contained in the investigation file regarding both the accused's father and the victim in this case, there is no record of any complaint of that nature, at least not in our investigation file," stated Mr Cancino.
A 100-day period has been allocated for the investigation.
