German police investigate robot used in alleged sexual assault

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 21:03 · Archive

German police are investigating after a robot touched a 16-year-old girl inappropriately in Cologne.

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 overnight Saturday to Sunday. The robot's suspected 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion are considered suspects but have not been charged. The two men were said to have filmed the alleged assault and streamed it online with commentary.

Emergency teams dispatched to the scene near a fast-food restaurant found the robot in the trunk of a vehicle. The robot and the two young men's mobile phones were confiscated. Police are examining whether the robot's movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time. Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel told the Associated Press that police were unfamiliar with this type of incident, saying it was 'new territory for us'.

The robot, approximately 120 centimetres tall, was dressed in a white tank top, black sweatpants, gold chain and sunglasses, with what appeared to be a fake moustache. Videos circulated on the internet show two young men escorting the robot toward a group of women on a lively nighttime street, with one man repeatedly shouting at the robot and pulling it backward after it made sexual gestures.

How it is being reported

• Police confiscate robot that groped 16-year-old girl, probe whether young men were at the controlsGerman authorities have opened an investigation into possible sexual harassment involving a robot.Clickorlando · 13 Oct, 19:30
• Police confiscate robot that groped 16-year-old girl, probe whether young men were at the controlsGerman authorities have opened an investigation into possible sexual harassment involving a robot.News4Jax · 13 Oct, 19:30

In this story: Cologne · North Rhine Westphalia · Christoph Bermel

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem