At the age of 78, Clark All Abson, the robber who held four people hostage for six days in 1973, in one of her, an incident that gave birth to the term “Stockholm Syndrome”.
All Abson, who starred in the Netflix series “Clark”, died in a Swedish hospital after a long illness, his family told Dagens Etc.
With multiple convictions for armed robbery, attempted murder, drug trafficking and attacks, he spent over half of his life in prison. He became best known for his role in Kreditbanken’s robbery in the center of the Swedish capital on August 23, 1973.
The robbery
On that day, Jane Olson invaded a bank armed with a gunshot and caught four employees hostage, while police and snipers were developed by surrounding the building.
Under the influence of drugs, Olson demanded his accomplice Clark all of them – in prison then convicted of robbery – to take him to the bank. The Swedish government agreed with the request.
Jane Olson calmed down almost as soon as All Affon arrived, and a hostage, Christine Anmark, saw him as a Savior. “He promised me that nothing would happen to me, and I decided to believe him,” she wrote in her book, telling what she lived. “I got Stockholm’s syndrome. I was 23 years old, I was terrified. “
Many times during the hostage – one of the first events broadcast on live television broadcast – Edmarc spoke and defended its kidnappers.
“I absolutely trust Clark and the robber. I’m not afraid of them at all. They didn’t do anything to me. She was very kind, ”she said in a telephone conversation with then Prime Minister Ulof Palme on the second day of her captivity. “Do you know what I’m afraid of? The police who will invade the bank, “he told him during this conversation.
Silent hostages in trial
After the sixth day, the police took action, breaking the bank’s roof and using tear gas. The two criminals surrendered and the hostages were released.
As an indication of their dissatisfaction with the authorities, the former hostages chose to remain silent during the trial of their kidnappers.
Since then, experts have been discussing the validity of the “Stockholm Syndrome” as a genuine psychiatric disorder, with some considering it more as a defense mechanism against a traumatic condition.
What is Stockholm Syndrome
In Stockholm Syndrome hostages express sympathy and compassion and have positive emotions to their kidnappers, sometimes to the point where they defend and identify with them.
These feelings are generally considered irrational in the light of the danger or risk suffered by the victims, which essentially consider the lack of abuse by the kidnappers as an act of kindness. The FBI hostage database system shows that about 8 percent of victims have indications.
Source: RES-EIA, AFP
