Is Stockholm Syndrome really real? New studies say the condition may have been invented by police
50 years ago a famous burglar entered a Stockholm bank with a machine gun, a knife, a radio transmitter, explosives and pieces of rope. The bandit's name was Jan-Erik Olsson and his target was Sveriges Kreditbank, a famous Swedish bank. However, Olsson wasn't exactly known for this crime in question,… New studies suggest that Stockholm Syndrome may have been invented by the police 50 years ago, when a famous burglar entered a Stockholm bank with a machine gun, knife, radio transmitter, explosives and rope. The robbery, which took place on August 23, 1973, transformed the lives of all involved. The victim, Kristin Enmark, was the world's first example of Stockholm syndrome and spent her life claiming he felt no kinship with his captor and only survived. However, some researchers believe that the condition may not exist. The problem is not listed as a serious diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
Published : 2 years ago by Ben in Lifestyle
50 years ago a famous burglar entered a Stockholm bank with a machine gun, a knife, a radio transmitter, explosives and pieces of rope. The bandit’s name was Jan-Erik Olsson and his target was Sveriges Kreditbank, a famous Swedish bank.
However, Olsson wasn’t exactly known for this crime in question, but rather for spearheading the emergence of one of the most curious “psychiatric problems” of all time: Stockholm syndrome.
On August 23, 1973, Olsson’s assault was expected to last only a few hours. However, the event lasted a total of six days and transformed the lives of everyone involved. During the case, psychiatric consultant Nils Bejerot, hired by the police to deal with the Sveriges Keditbank impasse, made an accusation unlike anything heard before.
According to him, Kristin Enmark, who was 23 when her workplace became the scene of a bizarre robbery, had formed an emotional bond with the robber, which would imply a sexual bond. Soon, the young Swedish woman became the world’s first example of Stockholm syndrome.
Now, 50 years later, some researchers believe the condition may not even exist. Enmark spent his entire life claiming that he felt no kinship with his captor and had only done what was necessary to survive. Some argue that the diagnosis of “Stockholm syndrome” was created to mask the resentment the hostage had felt towards the police after his failure to carry out negotiations with his captors.
Enmark said several times that he was afraid of what police officers might do at the scene of the robbery, which could end up killing everyone present. Therefore, while some experts declared that the woman’s “fear of the police” was something irrational and could only be explained by a syndrome, another group of researchers began to wonder whether the phenomenon was actually authentic or simply a relationship imposed on a woman who fought for his survival.
One of the most famous cases of alleged Stockholm syndrome occurred a year after the bank robbery in Sweden. In 1974, Patty Hearst, the nineteen-year-old granddaughter of a wealthy tycoon, was kidnapped in the United States by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Two months later, rumors emerged that Hearst had been romantically involved with one of her captors.
The girl later even declared allegiance to the rebel group, denounced her family and posed for photos while carrying weapons. She was eventually arrested in 1975 and sentenced to seven years in prison. But to what extent can Stockholm syndrome be considered a real illness and a justification for certain acts?
The truth is the problem is not listed as a serious diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Some experts question whether it is a serious psychological condition or simply a survival strategy, a rational choice made by people when faced with extreme danger.
In the USA, criminal experts maintain that the phenomenon is rare and excessively publicized by the media, so much so that it has become the plot of books, films and songs. Therefore, most of the diagnoses ended up being made immediately by the media itself, and not by psychologists or psychiatrists, or simply to find a “valid explanation” for why the hostages felt dissatisfied with the conduct of the police during the prolonged kidnappings.