Police identified the girl as Shakira Augustine who hailed from Chipokosa village, Traditional Authority Malengachanzi in the district.

She had just finished writing her Primary School Certificate Leaving Examination on Friday at St Paul`s primary school.

In a statement, Nkhotakota Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Paul Malimwe indicated that on July 16, the deceased left home for an unknown destination and came back home late in the evening.

“Her parents asked her where she went and she responded that she had been to her friend. This did not go well with the parents who asked her to go back where she was,” said Malimwe.

But the following morning on Sunday, the girl was found hanging on a tree behind the house and the matter was reported to police who visited the scene.

The body was taken to Nkhotakota District Hospital where death was confirmed and postmortem results confirmed that death was due to strangulation.