Creepy clown attacks on rise

Vienna/Berlin, Oct. 25: The so-called creepy clown trend has spread to Austria where several people have been injured in attacks by masked assailants in the lead-up to Halloween.

Three men disguised as “horror clowns” assaulted a 19-year-old man with a baseball bat at the weekend in the western state of Tirol, local police said on Tuesday.

The suspects fled the scene.

In another incident, a 16year-old jogger was seriously injured on Sunday when she fell down a steep hill after being scared by a creepy clown who had jumped in her path in the Carinthian city of Villach.

The teenager was hospitalised while the suspect manage to escape, police said.

Another 16-year-old girl twisted her ankle on Monday evening when she ran away from a man wearing a clown mask in a parking lot and fell down some stairs in central Styria state.

Authorities said they were still searching for leads regarding the suspect.

People have been reporting numerous other sightings across Austria on special Facebook pages dedicated to creepy clown spotting.

Police have issued several warnings in recent days against wearing a clown mask.

Meanwhile, the German police say a teenager’s attempt to frighten a group of young people by wearing a clown mask and brandishing a hammer on a Berlin street turned out very badly.

Berlin police said on Tuesday that a 14-year-old responded by pulling a knife and stabbing the clown, only to find that the clown was a 16-yearold acquaintance.

The older teen was taken to a hospital. The 14-yearold was released to his parents.

News media in Europe and America have reported a rash of sightings “of people dressed as clowns and acting in a disturbing manner. —AFP/AP