Humanoid Robot Allegedly Sexually Assaults 16-Year-Old Girl, Teenage Owner Accused of Filming the Incident
Humanoid robotCredit: Cologne Police/Facebook
Cologne police said the alleged attack happened outside a fast food restaurant in Cologne, Germany, on Oct. 11
Authorities confiscated the robot and two phones after locating the device in a Volkswagen trunk
Investigators are examining whether someone deliberately controlled the robot’s movements
Police have launched an investigation after a 16-year-old girl in Germany was allegedly sexually assaulted by a remote-controlled robot.
The teenager was allegedly attacked outside a fast food restaurant in Cologne on Sunday, Oct. 11. The 4-foot-tall humanoid robot allegedly touched the girl’s buttocks and “made thrusting motions against her,” the North Rhine-Westphalia Police Cologne (NRWPC) said in a press release.
“The teenager was with her 17- and 18-year-old friends in front of a fast food restaurant at the corner of Palmstrasse and Hohenzollernring between 11:45 p.m. and midnight [local time],” the NRWPC said. “The robot is said to have approached the 16-year-old from behind and performed the actions.”
The NRWPC shared a photo of the red and gold robot resembling the comic book character Iron Man, wearing a white tank and black pants with a gold chain. The device appears to be a Chinese-made Unitree R1 Air, according to the U.K. outlet The Times.
Rhineland-Westphalia, Cologne, GermanyCredit: Getty
The alleged 16-year-old owner of the robot and his 19-year-old companion are accused of filming the alleged assault and streaming it live on social media while acting as a commentator, according to the police.
Emergency services were alerted about the alleged assault and found the suspects at the corner of Magnusstrasse and Hohenzollernring, per the release.
“They found the robot in the trunk of a Volkswagen. The 16-year-old from Wegberg had previously placed the device there,” the NRWPC said.
The victim and suspects have not been publicly identified at this time.
A humanoid robot allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in Germany on Oct. 11Credit: Cologne Police/Facebook
Police confiscated the robot and two cell phones belonging to the suspects. The criminal investigation department is looking into the situation on suspicion of sexual harassment, per the release.
“The criminal investigation department is now examining how the robot was functioning at the time of the incident and whether someone was deliberately controlling its movements,” the NRWPC said.
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PEOPLE has reached out to the NRWPC for further comment.
Source: Crime
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