One of the two charismatic criminals involved in the kidnapping that gave the world the term "Stockholm syndrome" has died aged 78, his family has said. Clark Oloffson - who rose to global notoriety in 1973 following a kidnapping and bank robbery in the Swedish capital - died following a lengthy illness, his family told online media outlet Dagens ETC. During a six-day siege, Oloffson's hostages began to sympathise with him and his accomplice, defending their actions while growing more hostile to the police outside. The incident lends its name to a theorised psychological condition whereby kidnap victims develop affections for their captors. The notorious bank siege was instigated by another man, Jan-Erik Olsson. After seizing three women and a man hostage, he demanded Oloffson - who he had previously befriended in prison - be brought to the bank from jail. Swedish authorities agreed to his demand, and Oloffson entered the bank, which was surrounded by police. Years later, in an interview with the Aftonbladet newspaper, he claimed he was asked to work as an inside man to keep the captives safe in exchange for a reduced sentence, but accused officials of not honouring the agreement. Olofsson persuaded one of the hostages, Kristin Enmark, to speak to the Swedish prime minister on the phone on behalf of the robbers. She begged to be allowed to leave the bank in a getaway car with the kidnappers, telling him: "I fully trust Clark and the robber... They haven't done a thing to us." She went on: "On the contrary, they have been very nice... Believe it or not but we've had a really nice time here." Over the course of several phone calls, Enmark said she feared her captors would be harmed by police and repeatedly defended their actions. In her memoir, she said of Oloffson: "He promised that he would make sure nothing happened to me and I decided to believe him. I was 23 years old and feared for my life." The hostage situation ended after six days when police officers broke through the roof and used tear gas to subdue the pair. Initially, hostages refused to leave their captors over fears they would be shot by police. The hostages also later refused to testify against Oloffson and Olsson. Experts have since debated whether Stockholm syndrome is an actual psychiatric condition, with some arguing it is a defence mechanism to cope with traumatic situations. The term was coined in the aftermath of the siege by Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot to explain the seemingly irrational affection some captives felt for their hostage-takers. The theory reached a wider audience the following year when Californian newspaper heiress Patty Hearstwas kidnapped by revolutionary militants. Speaking on theBBC's Sideways podcast in 2021, Enmark rubbished the concept of Stockholm syndrome, saying: "It's a way of blaming the victim. I did what I could to survive." Olofsson was a repeat offender and spent much of his life in prison. He was released for the last time in 2018 after serving a sentence for a drug offence in Belgium. In 2022, actor Bill Skarsgård portrayed him in the Netflix drama series Clark.
Criminal who helped inspire 'Stockholm syndrome' theory dies
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"Clark Oloffson, Notorious Figure in Stockholm Syndrome Case, Dies at 78"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Clark Oloffson, one of the criminals who played a pivotal role in the 1973 Stockholm bank robbery that led to the concept of 'Stockholm syndrome,' has died at the age of 78 after a lengthy illness, as reported by his family. Oloffson gained notoriety during a six-day hostage situation where captives developed an unexpected empathy for their captors, defending their actions while displaying hostility towards the police. This psychological phenomenon, where victims form bonds with their abductors, was later named 'Stockholm syndrome' by criminologist Nils Bejerot. The incident began when Jan-Erik Olsson took hostages in a bank and demanded Oloffson, a former prison acquaintance, be brought in to assist with the situation. Authorities complied, allowing Oloffson to enter the bank amid a police siege, which ultimately concluded when law enforcement intervened with tear gas after days of negotiation and escalating tensions.
During the standoff, one of the hostages, Kristin Enmark, notably communicated with the Swedish Prime Minister, expressing her trust in Oloffson and the robbers, which highlighted the complex psychological dynamics at play. She later reflected on her experience, stating that she believed Oloffson would protect her. After the incident, the hostages notably refused to testify against their captors, further complicating the narrative surrounding the event. Although experts have debated the legitimacy of Stockholm syndrome as a psychological condition, Enmark herself dismissed the label, suggesting it unjustly shifts blame onto victims. Oloffson, a repeat offender who spent significant time in prison, was last released in 2018 after serving a drug-related sentence in Belgium. His life and the infamous bank robbery were dramatized in the 2022 Netflix series 'Clark,' featuring actor Bill Skarsgård in the lead role.
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