Key Takeaways
- German police seized a humanoid robot after it allegedly sexually harassed a teenage girl.
- Investigators suspect two young men controlled the robot and livestreamed the incident.
- The case raises questions about how existing laws apply to incidents involving robots.
German police have seized a humanoid robot after it allegedly touched a teenage girl inappropriately and made sexually suggestive movements toward her in Cologne. The incident occurred near a fast-food restaurant in a busy nightlife area of Cologne shortly before midnight on October 10.
According to police, the robot approached the girl from behind and touched her buttocks, making repeated thrusting movements toward her. Videos shared online appear to corroborate these claims, showing the robot's actions.
The humanoid robot, identified as a commercially available model worth around €5,000, or approximately $5,600, belonged to a 16-year-old boy. He was accompanied by a 19-year-old companion at the time of the incident. Authorities allege that the two young men recorded and livestreamed the encounter themselves, commenting on the situation live on social media.
Police officers responded shortly after the incident was reported and found the two suspects nearby. By that time, the robot had already been placed inside the trunk of a Volkswagen. Officers seized the humanoid robot along with both suspects' smartphones as evidence.
One of the people involved later claimed on TikTok that the robot accidentally collided with a woman while trying to avoid another pedestrian. However, longer videos circulating online appear to show the robot making sexually suggestive movements after the initial contact.
Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage and videos posted online to establish exactly what happened. They are also trying to determine whether someone remotely controlled the robot, whether certain actions were programmed in advance, or whether the machine performed the movements independently.
The unusual case has raised questions over how existing criminal laws apply when a robot is used in potentially abusive conduct. Under German law, the offense of sexual harassment generally requires direct physical contact between people. Legal experts told German broadcaster RTL that this could make it more difficult to prosecute the robot’s owners under existing sexual harassment laws.
Instead, police are investigating the incident on suspicion of a sexually motivated insult. Authorities may also examine possible violations linked to the unauthorized publication of images or videos. So far, police have not filed charges against either suspect.
The case highlights a growing challenge for law enforcement as humanoid robots become more advanced and increasingly available to private users. It also raises wider questions about legal responsibility when a person uses a machine to carry out actions that could otherwise be considered criminal.
