German police launch investigation after robot allegedly gropes teenage girl

Police in Germany have launched an investigation into possible sexual assault after a robot controlled by two teenage boys allegedly grinded against a 16-year-old girl and touched her buttocks.

The incident occurred in the city of Cologne in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia late on Sunday night.

The 16-year-old owner of the robot and his 19-year-old companion filmed the alleged attack and live-streamed it on social media, according to police.

The girl was outside a fast-food restaurant between 11.45 p.m. and midnight local time with female friends aged 17 and 18. The robot, which was around 1.20 meters (120 cm) high, approached the girl from behind and carried out the actions, police said.

Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, where they found the alleged assailants and discovered the robot in the trunk of a vehicle, according to police.

Authorities seized the robot and mobile phones belonging to the two suspects.

Video footage circulating online shows a robot dressed in a white vest with a gold chain and sunglasses approaching women on the streets and making sexually-explicit gestures.

Authorities are looking into whether the robot’s movements were pre-programmed or deliberately being controlled at the time of the incident.

德国警方已对一起可能的性侵犯事件展开调查，据称两名十几岁的男孩控制的机器人摩擦一名 16 岁女孩的身体并触摸她的臀部。

事件发生在周日深夜，地点位于德国西部北莱茵-威斯特法伦州的科隆市。

据警方称，这名16岁的机器人主人和他的19岁同伴拍摄了这起袭击事件，并在社交媒体上进行了直播。

警方称，事发当晚11点45分至午夜之间，这名女孩和几位年龄分别为17岁和18岁的女性朋友在一家快餐店外。这台高约1.20米（120厘米）的机器人从女孩身后靠近并实施了攻击动作。

据警方称，紧急救援人员赶到现场，发现了涉嫌袭击者，并在车辆后备箱中发现了机器人。

当局缴获了机器人和两名嫌疑人的手机。

网上流传的视频显示，一个身穿白色背心、戴着金链子和太阳镜的机器人接近街头的女性，并做出性暗示的手势。

当局正在调查事发时机器人的动作是预先编程的还是被故意控制的。