German police have launched an investigation into two teenagers accused of controlling a robot that allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl in the western city of Cologne....
German police have launched an investigation into two teenagers accused of controlling a robot that allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl in the western city of Cologne.
Police said the 1.2-metre-tall red and gold robot allegedly grabbed the girl’s buttocks and made thrusting movements against her before she screamed and moved away.
According to North Rhine-Westphalia Police, the incident occurred close to midnight on Saturday as the girl stood with friends outside a fast-food outlet near Cologne city centre.
Investigators believe the robot’s 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion streamed the incident live on social media and made comments about it.
Emergency services were alerted, and officers found the two suspects a short distance from the scene. The robot was discovered in the back of a car, where the younger suspect had allegedly placed it, police said.
Officers confiscated the robot and seized two mobile phones belonging to the suspects as part of the investigation.
Police are working to establish whether the robot’s movements were deliberately controlled by either suspect during the alleged incident.
A photograph released by police showed the device wearing a black moustache, a gold-coloured chain and a white vest.
In a follow-up statement on Facebook, police also warned social media users against inappropriate comments about the case.
“Some comments on social media can be a crossing of the line and in the worst case, a criminal offence,” the police said.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the two suspects have not been established in court.