German police have seized a robot after it allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl in Cologne. The shocking incident has sparked an investigation into two suspects. Police suspect the robot’s 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion of controlling the device. They also believe the pair may have livestreamed the incident on social media.
According to North Rhine-Westphalia Police, the incident happened close to midnight on Saturday. The girl was with her friends near a fast-food outlet in the city centre. Police said the 120cm-tall robot approached her from behind. It allegedly grabbed her buttocks and made thrusting movements against her. The girl screamed and quickly moved away.
Following the incident, emergency services alerted the police. Officers later found the two suspects one block away. Police said the teenage owner had placed the robot inside a car. Officers seized the device and two mobile phones belonging to the suspects. A photo released by police showed the robot wearing a black moustache, a gold-coloured chain, and a white vest. Investigators are now checking whether someone deliberately controlled its movements.
Meanwhile, police have warned social media users against posting inappropriate comments about the case. In a follow-up Facebook post, officers said some comments “can be a crossing of the line and in the worst case, a criminal offense”. Authorities are working to establish what happened and who controlled the robot. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have yet to be fully established.
