A 13-year-old girl in Nzige sector of Rwamagana district has died of injuries she suffered in a fight with a seven-year old boy. The boy is under police "protection” to avoid possible revenge, the acting Eastern Region police spokesman, Emmanuel Kayigi said.

"Parents and relatives of the deceased were very angry…we took the boy away from the village to avoid vengeance. When mourning, parents are emotional and anything can happen,” he said.

It’s unknown if the minor will face any charges. "We do not yet know if there will be criminal charges, but we will present our findings to prosecutors. We shall also examine the deceased’s medical history,” police said.

"The boy had lent a pen to the girl who lost it…they quarreled and the boy kicked the girl in the ribs. She went into a comma…that is how the tragedy began,” said one witness we could only identify as Claudine.

Moments later, teachers arrived only to find the girl unconscious. She was taken to a nearby health centre and died a few hours later.