Cologne police probe two suspects after robot allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl
Cologne police say a 1.20-metre robot touched a 16-year-old girl's buttocks shortly before midnight and made thrusting movements, while its 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion filmed and streamed the scene live.
What police say happened
Cologne police say a red and gold robot, about 1.20 metres tall, approached a 16-year-old girl from behind on a street in the city centre shortly before midnight, in the night of 11 to 12 October 2026. The girl was standing with two friends, aged 17 and 18, in front of a fast-food restaurant, and police put her location between 23:45 and midnight. According to the police statement, the robot touched her on the buttocks and then made repeated thrusting movements against her from behind. The girl was frightened, screamed and stepped away. A viral TikTok video shows the robot, accompanied by its owners, pressing against the girl while she recoils.
Suspects and charges
Criminal police are investigating the 16-year-old owner of the robot and his 19-year-old companion on suspicion of insult on a sexual basis, an offence that can carry up to two years in prison. Police say the two filmed the scene, streamed it live on social media and commented on it as it unfolded. Officers were alerted and reached the area shortly afterwards. They found both suspects together with the robot in the boot of a VW car, where the 16-year-old had stowed it. Police seized the robot and the two suspects' mobile phones as part of the inquiry.
- Girl stands with two friends in front of a fast-food restaurant
- Robot approaches from behind, touches her buttocks and makes thrusting movements
- Police find both suspects and the robot in the boot of a VW car
- Cologne police announce the investigation for suspicion of insult on a sexual basis
Online audience and viral spread
According to the police, the alleged assault was staged for an online audience, with the two suspects accused of broadcasting it live and talking over it. Similar videos of the same robot are circulating widely online, and the police are now looking at this material as well. Investigators are examining whether the two deliberately staged the incident for their viewers, and that question forms part of the investigation. The viral TikTok clip is the most widely seen footage of the incident so far. The girl and her friends are not named in the police account, and the investigation concerns the suspects' conduct rather than any wider pattern of incidents.
Open questions
Police say they do not yet know how the robot was functioning at the time of the incident. Investigators are examining whether a person deliberately controlled its movements or whether the device acted on its own. The seized robot and phones are central to that inquiry. Until the question is answered, the roles of the 16-year-old owner and the 19-year-old companion in the alleged assault remain under investigation.
