CALGARY — German police have seized a humanoid robot and two cellphones after a 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually harassed by the machine outside a fast-food restaurant in Cologne.The unusual incident, which reportedly occurred shortly before midnight on October 10, has prompted questions about how existing criminal laws apply when a robot is allegedly used to commit an offence.According to CBS News, the robot approached the teenager from behind, allegedly touched her buttocks and performed sexually suggestive movements while two young men reportedly filmed and livestreamed the encounter.Officers located the two suspects nearby shortly after receiving a report of the incident. The robot had already been placed inside the trunk of a Volkswagen.The girl was accompanied by two friends, aged 17 and 18, when the incident occurred. Police identified the two young men involved as a 16-year-old, believed to be the robot's owner, and his 19-year-old companion..Authorities confiscated the machine and both suspects' smartphones as evidence.The robot, measuring approximately 120 centimetres tall, had a red-and-gold exterior and was dressed in a white tank top, black sweatpants, sunglasses, a gold chain and what appeared to be a fake moustache.German media identified the machine as a commercially available humanoid robot reportedly costing approximately €5,000.Videos circulating online appear to show two young men accompanying the robot through a busy nightlife district, where it approaches women and makes inappropriate gestures.In some recordings, one of the men can reportedly be heard shouting at the machine and pulling it backward as bystanders laugh.Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel told the Associated Press that investigators were examining whether the movements had been programmed in advance or directed by someone operating the machine in real time."We have not been aware of this phenomenon so far," Bermel said, describing the investigation as "new territory for us.".Legal experts speaking to German broadcaster RTL explained that sexual harassment offences generally require direct physical contact between individuals, potentially complicating prosecution in this case.Authorities are instead investigating a possible sexually motivated insult, while potential offences involving the unauthorized publication of images may also be examined.Cologne police have also addressed public reactions to the incident, warning against inappropriate jokes and the circulation of recordings that could further harm the alleged victim.The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to determine how the robot was operated, whether its actions were deliberate and what criminal offences, if any, may have occurred.
