The Briefing
- Cologne police seized a red-and-gold humanoid robot after it allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl and made thrusting movements against her on one of the city's busiest nightlife streets, opening a criminal investigation into possible sexual harassment.
- The robot's 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion are under investigation for allegedly filming the assault, livestreaming it on social media, and providing live commentary to their online audience as the incident unfolded.
- Investigators must determine whether the robot's movements were remotely operated in real time or preprogrammed in advance — a distinction that carries major implications for criminal liability under German law, which authorities acknowledge has no precedent for this type of offense.