The recent passing of Clark Olofsson at age 78 brings renewed attention to the 1973 Stockholm bank holdup, an incident credited with inspiring the psychological phenomenon known as “Stockholm Syndrome.” During the six-day crisis, an ex-convict, Jan-Erik Olsson, took bank employees hostage and demanded the release of Olofsson, his former cellmate, to join him. Once Olofsson was brought to the scene, a notable shift in dynamics occurred: the hostages began to develop a protective stance toward their captors and displayed hostility toward police rescuers. One hostage, Kristin Enmark, famously telephoned Sweden’s Prime Minister Olof Palme, pleading for safe passage with her abductors, underscoring the unusual psychological bonds formed during their captivity.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/world/europe/clark-olofsson-dead.html