News from the IT community on October 13: On October 12, local time, the police in Cologne, Germany, issued a statement indicating that a 16-year-old girl in the area is suspected of having been sexually harassed by a humanoid robot.
The police have seized the robot involved in the incident as well as the mobile phones of two suspects, and have launched an investigation into the case of alleged insults on sexual grounds. IT has learned from official sources that the Cologne police are currently verifying how the robot was operating at the time, as well as whether someone deliberately controlled its movements.
According to the police report, the incident occurred in the early hours of October 11th local time. A 16-year-old girl, along with two female friends aged 17 and 18 respectively, were standing outside a fast-food restaurant near the intersection of Palmstra ße and Hohenzollernring in the center of Cologne. A red-gold robot, about 1.2 meters in height, approached the girl from behind, and then allegedly touched her buttocks and made provocative gestures.
After receiving the alarm, the police quickly located the suspects near the intersection of Magnusstra ße and Hohenzollernring. A robot was found in the trunk of a Volkswagen car. The police subsequently seized the robot as well as two mobile phones belonging to the two suspects.
The police stated that the owner of the robot involved was only 16 years old, but a 19-year-old companion is suspected of filming the incident and providing live commentary on social media.
Currently, the criminal police in Cologne are investigating the specific operating mode of the robot at the time of the incident, as well as whether any relevant individuals intentionally controlled its movements. German media outlet Die Welt reported today that the police are also reviewing relevant video footage, and the area where the incident occurred is within the surveillance range of the police cameras. The video clips circulating online and the statements made by the relevant individuals regarding the incident still need to be verified in conjunction with the investigation results; no final conclusion has been reached yet in this case.
