IT Home On October 13, according to a report by the German Cologne police on October 12 local time, a 16-year-old girl in the area is suspected of being harassed by a humanoid robot.
The police have seized the involved robot and the mobile phones of two suspects, and are investigating the case of alleged harassment based on sexual reasons. According to official sources from IT Home, the Cologne police are currently verifying how the robot was operating at that time, and whether anyone deliberately controlled its actions.
According to police reports, the incident occurred in the early morning on October 11 local time. A 16-year-old girl and two female friends who are 17 and 18 years old respectively stopped outside a fast-food restaurant near the intersection of Palmstraße and Hohenzollernring in the center of Cologne. A robot with a red-and-gold color scheme and about 1.2 meters tall approached the girl from behind, then allegedly touched her buttocks and made a bumping motion.
After receiving the alert, the police quickly found the suspect near the intersection of Magnusstraße and Hohenzollernring, and discovered a robot in the trunk of a Volkswagen car. The police then seized the robot and the two suspects' mobile phones.
The police said that the owner of the involved robot was only 16 years old, but a 19-year-old companion is suspected of filming the incident and livestreaming and commenting on social media.
Currently, the Cologne criminal police are investigating how the robot functioned at the time of the incident, and whether those involved intended to control its actions. German media outlet The World reported today that the police are also examining relevant video footage, and the area where the incident occurred is under police camera surveillance. The video clips that have circulated online and the statements of those involved need to be verified in conjunction with the investigation results, and there is still no final conclusion regarding the case.