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Numerous
sightings of clowns appeared on social media in the early hours
of Sunday in several Australian cities, with one woman in
Brisbane telling local media she was chased by a clown holding a
knife.
The clown sightings started around Greenville, South Carolina,
in August, when police received reports of clowns standing
silently by roadsides, lurking near laundromats and trying to
lure children into the woods with bags of cash and green laser
lights.
It's unclear what started the craze, although some have
suggested it may be part of a horror movie publicity stunt or an
elaborate hoax.
Since then videos and pictures have appeared on social media of
clowns scaring residents in various U.S cities, as well as in
Australia and New Zealand.
In the New Zealand city of Hamilton, a 22-year-old woman was
assaulted early on Saturday by two men dressed as clowns, police
said.
"This was a very frightening experience for the young woman,"
New Zealand police said in a statement.
Australian police have issued strong warnings to those dressing
as clowns, saying they could be committing criminal acts or
become victims if scared citizens attack them.
"The clown purge appears to be a copycat of incidents being seen
in the U.S. Any intimidating or threatening, as well as
anti-social behaviors will not be tolerated and will be
investigated," police in the Australian state of Victoria said
in a statement posted on social media.
(Reporting by Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Darren Schuettler and
Paul Tait)
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