German police investigate robot used in alleged sexual harassment

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 22:32 · Archive

German police in Cologne are investigating after a robot allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl and made sexual gestures.

German authorities have opened an investigation into possible sexual harassment after a robot controlled by two young men touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl and made thrusting movements toward her in Cologne at the weekend. The robot's suspected 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion are considered suspects; they are said to have filmed and streamed the incident online with commentary. Neither has been charged.

Emergency teams dispatched to the scene near a fast-food restaurant found the robot in the boot of a vehicle. Police confiscated the robot and the two young men's mobile phones. Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel told the Associated Press that investigators are examining whether the robot's movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time, and that police were unfamiliar with this type of incident. 'We have not been aware of this phenomenon so far,' he said. 'It is new territory for us.'

Videos circulating online show two young men escorting the robot toward a group of women, bumping into one and hugging others on a lively nighttime street. One of the men repeatedly shouts at the robot and pulls it backward after it makes sexual gestures, prompting laughter among people in the area. On Tuesday, Cologne police criticised inappropriate comments on social media and warned that sharing or joking about such incidents can worsen the impact on any victim.

How it is being reported

• German cops confiscate robot that 'groped 16yo girl'Videos circulating on the internet show two young men escorting a robot toward a group of women, before it reportedly made sexual gestures.The West Australian · 13 Oct, 22:08
• German cops confiscate robot that 'groped 16yo girl'Videos circulating on the internet show two young men escorting a robot toward a group of women, before it reportedly made sexual gestures.Perth Now · 13 Oct, 22:08

In this story: Cologne · Germany · Christoph Bermel

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