The incident unfolded Saturday night as the duo streamed the robot’s advances to an online audience, livestreaming the moment it touched the girl’s buttocks and thrusting toward her.
The 120‑centimetre bot, dressed in a white tank top, black sweatpants, gold chain, sunglasses and a faux mustache, was later found in the trunk of a vehicle near a fast‑food restaurant on Cologne’s bustling nightlife street.
Cologne Police spokesman Christoph Bermel said the two male teenagers—registered as a 16‑year‑old owner and a 19‑year‑old companion—remain suspects but have not been charged. Investigators are examining whether the robot’s movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time, a phenomenon the force admits it has never encountered before.
The police’s Facebook post warned that mocking or sharing such footage could worsen the impact on any victim, while social media users flooded the platform with reactions, prompting a broader debate on the ethical use of autonomous machines in public spaces.