German police are investigating whether two young men used a humanoid robot to sexually harass a 16-year-old girl on a busy Cologne street. The incident happened shortly before midnight on Oct. 10 near a fast-food restaurant, where the girl was with two friends aged 17 and 18.
Videos circulating online appear to show two young men guiding the red-and-gold machine toward groups of women, while one of them later pulled it back after it made sexual gestures.
The robot’s suspected owner is 16, and the other person under investigation is 19. Officers responding to the complaint found the robot in the trunk of a Volkswagen and confiscated it along with both suspects’ mobile phones.
Investigators are examining whether the machine was controlled remotely, operated through programmed movements or acting independently. They are also reviewing surveillance footage and online recordings to establish the sequence of events. Neither suspect had been charged at the time of the latest police update.
The case presents an unusual legal question because German sexual-harassment law generally requires direct physical contact between people. Investigators are therefore also examining possible sexually motivated insults and whether images of the encounter were published without authorization.
The seized robot, dressed in a white tank top, black sweatpants, sunglasses and a gold-colored chain, remains part of the investigation while authorities determine how it was operated and who was responsible for its movements.