German Police Launch Investigation After Robot Allegedly Gropes Teenage Girl

German police have launched an investigation into a suspected sexual assault after a robot allegedly rubbed against a 16-year-old girl and touched her buttocks in the western city of Cologne.

The incident occurred late on Sunday night in North Rhine-Westphalia, with authorities investigating whether the robot’s movements were pre-programmed or deliberately controlled by its operators.

According to police, the girl was outside a fast-food restaurant with female friends aged 17 and 18 between 11.45 p.m. and midnight when the robot approached her from behind and allegedly carried out the actions.

The robot, which was approximately 1.2 metres tall, was reportedly owned by a 16-year-old boy who was accompanied by a 19-year-old male companion.

Police said the two suspects filmed the alleged incident and livestreamed it on social media.

Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, where officers found the alleged assailants and discovered the robot in the trunk of a vehicle.

Authorities subsequently seized the robot and mobile phones belonging to the two suspects as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, video footage circulating online shows a robot dressed in a white vest, gold chain and sunglasses approaching women on the streets and making sexually suggestive gestures.

Authorities are investigating whether the robot’s movements were pre-programmed or deliberately controlled at the time of the alleged assault.

The investigation is ongoing.