The incident was reportedly livestreamed on social media, with two teenagers suspected of filming the encounter and commentating on it.
Police in Germany have seized a robot after it allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl and “made thrusting motions against her” outside a fast-food restaurant in Cologne.
Police investigate possible sexual harassment
Cops were alerted shortly after the alleged incident. Officers located the individuals involved near the intersection of Magnusstrasse and Hohenzollernring and found the robot hidden in the boot of a Volkswagen car. Police seized the robot and two mobile phones belonging to the suspects as part of the investigation.
The Cologne Police said that the girl was standing with friends outside a fast-food restaurant on Hohenzollernring when the red-and-gold robot, which stands around 1.2 metres tall, approached her from behind, touched her buttocks and made thrusting motions against her. Police said the robot’s 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion allegedly filmed the incident, streamed it live on social media and acted as commentators. The 16-year-old owner, who is from Wegberg, had placed the device in the vehicle before officers arrived, according to police.
Cologne Police have launched a criminal investigation as it is believed the automaton was being “remote-controlled”. In a statement, police referred to the incident as an “assault” and said that they were considering sexual harassment charges. “The criminal investigation department is now examining how the robot was functioning at the time of the incident and whether someone was deliberately controlling its movements,” police said in a statement, as per the Daily Mail.
The incident took place on Sunday, according to a report by the Daily Mail .
