Clark Olofsson, one of the two notorious criminals behind the kidnapping that birthed the term "Stockholm syndrome," has died at the age of 78, according to family reports shared with online media platform Dagens ETC. His demise followed a prolonged illness. Olofsson rose to infamy in 1973 during a dramatic bank robbery in Stockholm, where hostages began to exhibit sympathy towards him and his accomplice, creating what would later become known as Stockholm syndrome—a psychological phenomenon in which victims develop feelings for their captors.
The high-profile bank heist was initiated by Jan-Erik Olsson, who took several hostages, including three women and a man, demanding that Olofsson be brought to the scene from prison. Authorities complied, and Olofsson arrived at the bank, which was encircled by law enforcement. In a later interview, Olofsson claimed to have been promised a role as a protector to the hostages in exchange for a lighter sentence; he asserted that officials failed to honor this deal.
One of the hostages, Kristin Enmark, was persuaded by Olofsson to communicate with the Swedish prime minister. During the conversation, she implored to be permitted to leave the bank in the company of her captors, stating, “I fully trust Clark and the robber... They haven't done a thing to us.” Enmark characterized her experience as surprisingly pleasant despite the circumstances, highlighting the alarming bond formed with her captors.
The harrowing six-day episode concluded with police intervention, using tear gas to end the standoff. In the aftermath, many hostages expressed a reluctance to testify against Olofsson or Olsson, citing fears for their safety. The psychological implications of this incident have led to much debate regarding the authenticity of Stockholm syndrome as a psychiatric condition, with some experts viewing it as a coping mechanism during traumatic events.
The term itself was coined by Swedish psychiatrist Nils Bejerot to help explain the bizarre affection displayed by hostages towards their kidnappers. This theory gained further prominence in 1974 when heiress Patty Hearst was abducted, adding to the media frenzy surrounding such incidents. In a podcast from 2021, Enmark criticized the notion of Stockholm syndrome, suggesting it oversimplified her situation and placed undue blame on victims.
Olofsson, a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history, was last released from prison in 2018, following a sentence for drug-related charges in Belgium. His life and the 1973 bank robbery was later depicted by actor Bill Skarsgård in the Netflix series "Clark" released in 2022.
