A 16-year-old girl in Cologne was allegedly sexually harassed by means of a humanoid robot. According to an October 12, 2026, press release issued by Cologne police, the approximately 4-foot-tall, red-and-gold robot approached the teenager from behind outside a fast-food restaurant early Sunday morning, touched her buttocks, and made thrusting motions. The robot’s 16-year-old owner, from Wegberg, and his 19-year-old companion allegedly filmed the incident, livestreamed it on social media, and provided commentary. Police officers responding to the incident located those involved shortly afterward and discovered the robot, which had since been stowed in the trunk of a Volkswagen. Officers seized the robot and two cell phones. The robot may have been a Unitree R1 manufactured by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. The model, which stands approximately 4 feet tall (1.23 meters), can be remotely controlled and programmed to perform specific sequences of movements. Its identity has not yet been confirmed. Criminal investigators are investigating the incident on suspicion of sexually motivated insult, an offense under German law. A key question is whether the robot’s movements were deliberately controlled at the time of the incident.
BY OLIVER BENDEL
