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Stockholm Syndrome is most commonly linked to the case of Patty Hearst, the publishing heiress. In February 1974, 19-year-old college student Hearst was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a left-wing radical group. She was reportedly subjected to intense manipulation by its leader. Over time, she was coerced into participating in a bank robbery in San Francisco and took part in other crimes with her captors.
The deep emotional connection that Hearst seemed to develop with her abductors mirrored the bond between a group of hostages involved in a similar bank robbery eight months prior. The psychological tension between the Swedish hostages and their captors led to the coining of the term Stockholm Syndrome.
“They Have Been Very Kind”
The dramatic events unfolded over six days, from August 23 to August 28, 1973. On the first day, Jan-Erik Olsson walked into Kreditbanken in downtown Stockholm, Sweden, and singlehandedly initiated a robbery. When two policemen arrived, Olsson shot one in the hand and forced the other to sit and sing, choosing the song “Lonesome Cowboy.” He then took four bank customers hostage and began issuing demands: He wanted his accomplice and skilled bank robber Clark Olofsson brought to the bank, 3 million Swedish kronor, along with firearms, bulletproof vests, helmets, and a getaway car.
His associate was delivered. As they awaited the remaining supplies and strategized their escape over the next few days, Olsson and Olofsson confined their hostages inside the bank vault. They had several phone conversations with Prime Minister Olof Palme, including one in which they allowed hostage Kristin Ehnemark to speak. During this call, it became evident that the hostages were beginning to develop empathy for their captors. Ehnemark said to the prime minister, “I think you are sitting there playing checkers with our lives. I trust Clark and the robber completely. I’m not panicking. They haven’t harmed us. On the contrary, they’ve been very kind. But you know, Olof, what I fear is that the police will act and cause our deaths.”
The Kreditbanken building in Stockholm in 1968, where the infamous ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ bank robbery occurred | Ingemar Gram, Wikimedia Commons // Public DomainOther hostages also developed sympathy for their captors, later stating that they found Olofsson and Olsson to be surprisingly kind. One hostage, who suffered from claustrophobia, was thankful that the men allowed her to leave the vault, provided she wore a rope around her neck like a leash. Another hostage, who had been told he would be shot, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to get drunk beforehand.
On August 28, the authorities finally decided to force everyone out by releasing gas through a hole they had drilled into the ceiling of the bank vault. The tactic succeeded, and ultimately, everyone exited the bank without harm. Both Olofsson and Olsson were apprehended.
Is Stockholm Syndrome a genuine phenomenon?
Olsson was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Olofsson, however, was released after appealing his conviction, convincing a judge that he had only arrived at the crime scene to help protect the hostages. Over the years, he became close with his captives, even forming a friendship with Ehnemark’s entire family when he wasn’t incarcerated on various charges over the next few decades.
Some rumors suggest that each captor eventually married one of their hostages. While this is false, Olsson did marry one of the many women he corresponded with during his time in prison—proving that his influence wasn’t limited to just his hostages.
Why would Stockholm Syndrome occur? How is it possible for someone to feel compassion for their would-be killers to the point of friendship? Psychologists suggest that this development of empathy is a survival strategy: To make the situation less overwhelming and more bearable, the captive starts to see the captor as an ally, believing that deep down, they are a good person, and together they can find a way out of the crisis.
