North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, October 15, 2026 — Police in Germany are investigating a suspected sexual assault after a robot allegedly approached a 16-year-old girl from behind, rubbed against her and touched her buttocks in the western city of Cologne.
The incident occurred late Sunday night outside a fast-food restaurant, where the girl was with female friends aged 17 and 18, police said. The incident reportedly took place between 11:45 p.m. and midnight local time.
According to police, the robot’s 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion filmed the alleged incident and livestreamed it on social media. The robot was approximately 1.2 metres tall.
Emergency services were sent to the scene, where they found the two suspects. Police also discovered the robot in the trunk of a vehicle.
Authorities seized the robot and mobile phones belonging to both suspects as part of the investigation.
