Police investigate robot incident involving 16-year-old girl in Cologne
Two teenagers are suspected after a robot allegedly harassed a girl and the scene was streamed online.
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Police in Cologne are investigating an incident in which a robot allegedly harassed a 16-year-old girl at a fast-food restaurant. Two teenagers are suspected; police have seized the device and two phones.
The incident took place in central Cologne in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to police, an approximately 1.20-metre-tall red-and-gold robot approached a 16-year-old girl and touched her inappropriately. Police stress that it is still being investigated how the robot was operating at the time.
According to police, the robot’s owner is himself 16 years old. A 19-year-old acquaintance is also believed to have been involved. Police say the two teenagers may have filmed the incident, broadcast it live on social media and provided commentary. Their names have not been released.
Officers later found those involved and discovered the robot in the boot of a car. The device and two mobile phones have been seized for the investigation. Police want to establish, among other things, whether someone was controlling the robot remotely and what role each suspect played.
The case is being investigated on suspicion of a criminal offence with a sexual component. This is the police’s preliminary classification and not a court ruling. There is no public information indicating that the two teenagers have already been formally convicted or that the device’s technical operation has been fully established.
The possible livestream also makes the case relevant to the online environment. Images of an incident can increase the harm to a victim while also affecting the reconstruction of events. In this case, it is not known how many people saw the broadcast, whether the footage is still online or whether a platform intervened.
Police have not disclosed a motive or the suspects’ precise intention. It is therefore only established that a robot was presumably used in an incident involving a minor and that a criminal investigation is under way. Further conclusions about the liability of the manufacturer, the platform or the teenagers would be premature.
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The text stays close to the police report and uses cautious wording for unproven elements. The minor has not been made identifiable and no unnecessary details about the incident have been added.
- confirmed Police in Cologne are investigating an incident involving a robot and a 16-year-old girl. — This is stated in the police report of 12 October 2026. source
- confirmed Two teenagers are suspected, and the robot and two phones have been seized. — Police mention a 16-year-old owner, a 19-year-old companion and the seizure. source
- confirmed The incident was allegedly filmed and broadcast live on social media. — This is attributed to the police as preliminary information. source
- confirmed Police are investigating whether someone controlled the robot remotely. — The police report says that the technical operation and possible control are being investigated. source
- confirmed There is no public information about the reach of the livestream or platform intervention. — The sources consulted provide no information on this. source