German police have seized a robot after it allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl in the city of Cologne, as they investigate two people suspected of controlling the device.
The red and gold robot allegedly grabbed the girl’s buttocks and made thrusting motions against her before she screamed and moved away.
North Rhine-Westphalia police said the robot’s 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion were suspected of streaming the incident live on social media and commenting on it.
According to a police statement on Facebook, the 120cm (3.9ft) tall robot approached the girl from behind close to midnight local time on Saturday, when she was with friends near the city centre.
The incident happened outside a fast-food outlet, police said.
Emergency services were alerted, and officers found the teenager and the 19-year-old a short time later, about a block away. The robot was discovered in the back of a car, where the teenager had placed it, according to police.
A photograph released by police showed the robot wearing a black moustache, a gold-coloured chain and a white vest.
Officers also seized two mobile phones belonging to the suspects. Investigators are trying to establish whether someone deliberately controlled the robot’s movements during the alleged incident.
In a follow-up Facebook post, police warned social media users against inappropriate comments about the case, saying some remarks can be a crossing of the line and in the worst case, a criminal offense.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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