SANTIAGO, July 22 (Reuters) - A Chilean woman beat her daughter to death after she refused to do her homework, police said on Tuesday.

Erna Rivera, 26, admitted losing her temper on Monday when her 9-year-old daughter refused to read a book her teachers had assigned as a holiday task. She kicked and beat the child at their home in the Chilean capital, Santiago, police said.

The girl died shortly after -- on the eve of her 10th birthday. Rivera has been charged with murder.

"She admits that she hit the girl, that she kicked her, punched her and threw her against furniture in the house," said Mauricio Lara of the police homicide division.

"The girl started to develop trauma, felt ill, wanted to vomit and fainted. She herself drove her daughter to a nearby medical center, and there (the girl) suffered cardiorespiratory arrest. They tried to revive her, but she died."

Rivera was accused of family violence by her partner last year, Lara said.

(Reporting by Monica Vargas, Writing by Simon Gardner, editing by Alan Elsner)

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