Kidnapping is a difficult ordeal for any victim to endure. The response of kidnapping victims has been studied by psychologists at least since the famous Norrmalmstorg robbery in Sweden in 1973. An armed convict named Jan Erik Olsson, who was on leave from prison, attempted a bank heist at Norrmalmstorg Square in Stockholm on August 23. He took four people hostage and demanded large sums of money. He also wanted to speak to a close friend of his, Clark Oloffson, who was also a convict.
Swedish police let Oloffson in, establishing communication with Olsson. The pair and the hostages were in the main vault of the bank, which the convicts barricaded. By August 26, law enforcement officers had succeeded in drilling a hole through the vault ceiling. Although Olsson repeatedly threatened to kill the hostages should police attempt to use gas to get them out, when police actually did so on August 28, Olsson gave up after half an hour.
One of the most interesting things to come out of the hostage situation was the degree to which the hostages apparently sympathized with their captors. Oloffson's conviction for his role was overturned, as he claimed he did not aid Olsson's actions and instead wanted only to keep the peace during the ordeal. Famously, Oloffson and hostage Kristin Enmark became friends after the crisis ended.
The hostages' inclination to empathize with their captors has been dubbed Stockholm syndrome. The victims in the Norrmalmstorg robbery reported that they were more afraid of the police than of the men holding them hostage, with Enmark even calling the Swedish Prime Minister from the bank vault to chastise him for the police methods employed.
Of course, not all hostages identify with their captors:
If you have been arrested for a crime in Miami or elsewhere in Florida, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law to begin your legal defense.
Swedish police let Oloffson in, establishing communication with Olsson. The pair and the hostages were in the main vault of the bank, which the convicts barricaded. By August 26, law enforcement officers had succeeded in drilling a hole through the vault ceiling. Although Olsson repeatedly threatened to kill the hostages should police attempt to use gas to get them out, when police actually did so on August 28, Olsson gave up after half an hour.
One of the most interesting things to come out of the hostage situation was the degree to which the hostages apparently sympathized with their captors. Oloffson's conviction for his role was overturned, as he claimed he did not aid Olsson's actions and instead wanted only to keep the peace during the ordeal. Famously, Oloffson and hostage Kristin Enmark became friends after the crisis ended.
The hostages' inclination to empathize with their captors has been dubbed Stockholm syndrome. The victims in the Norrmalmstorg robbery reported that they were more afraid of the police than of the men holding them hostage, with Enmark even calling the Swedish Prime Minister from the bank vault to chastise him for the police methods employed.
Of course, not all hostages identify with their captors:
If you have been arrested for a crime in Miami or elsewhere in Florida, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law to begin your legal defense.
