German police seize robot that allegedly groped a teenage girl
German police have seized a humanoid robot after it allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl in an indecent manner and made sexually suggestive gestures.
Key points
- German police seized a humanoid robot after it allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl in Cologne.
- Two young men allegedly livestreamed the Oct. 10 incident and are suspected of a sexually motivated insult.
- No charges have been filed; experts say harassment law may not cover robot contact.
German police in Cologne have seized a humanoid robot after it allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl in an indecent manner and made sexually suggestive gestures toward her. Investigators said Wednesday they were trying to determine whether two young men deliberately controlled the robot and livestreamed the incident on social media.
The incident happened on Oct. 10 shortly before midnight near a fast-food restaurant on a busy nightlife strip, according to a police statement released Monday.
What the videos show
Videos shared online appear to show the girl standing with two friends, aged 17 and 18, when a red-and-gold robot in athletic wear, about 4 feet tall, approaches from behind. According to police, the robot touches the 16-year-old's buttocks and repeatedly makes thrusting movements toward her.
The robot's owner, a 16-year-old male, and his 19-year-old companion are said to have recorded and livestreamed the encounter while commenting on it live. Police alerted to the incident found the two nearby soon after; the robot was already in the trunk of a Volkswagen. Officers seized the robot and the suspects' smartphones as evidence.
The case highlights new challenges for law enforcement agencies as increasingly powerful humanoid robots become more accessible to private individuals
— police
Legal questions and next steps
German media identified the robot as a commercially available humanoid model costing around 5,000 euros, or about $5,600. One person involved later claimed on TikTok that the robot accidentally collided with a woman while avoiding a passerby, but longer videos appear to show sexually suggestive movements after the contact with the girl.
Police are analyzing surveillance video and online recordings to reconstruct the sequence and determine whether the robot was controlled remotely, programmed with specific movements, or acted on its own. Under German law, sexual harassment generally requires direct physical contact between people, and legal experts told RTL that using a robot could make prosecution difficult. Police are instead investigating on suspicion of a sexually motivated insult, with possible violations over unauthorized publication of images also examined. No charges have been filed so far.
