German police in Cologne have opened an investigation after a robot allegedly controlled by two young men touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl and made thrusting movements toward her.
The incident happened overnight from Saturday into Sunday near a fast-food restaurant in the city center. The Associated Press reported that the robot’s 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion are suspected of filming the encounter, streaming it online, and commenting on it. Police said the two males have not been charged but are considered suspects.
Officers responded after receiving a report of a distressed female. They found the approximately 120-centimeter-tall red-and-gold robot in the trunk of a vehicle near the scene. The robot and the two young men’s mobile phones were confiscated as evidence. Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel said investigators are examining whether the robot’s movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time. He described the case as new territory for the department, noting that police had not previously encountered this type of incident.
The robot was dressed in a white tank top, black sweatpants, a gold chain, and sunglasses, and appeared to have a fake mustache. Videos that circulated online showed two young men escorting the robot along a busy nighttime street, where it bumped into people and hugged others. One of the men was seen pulling the robot backward after it made sexual gestures.
On their Facebook account, Cologne police posted an image of the seized robot and later warned that inappropriate comments or jokes about the incident can worsen the impact on the victim and, in some cases, may constitute a criminal offense. The investigation into possible sexual harassment remains ongoing.
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