What is Stockholm Syndrome?
Imagine being taken hostage or held captive, and instead of spending every waking moment plotting your escape, you find yourself liking your captor. Sounds bizarre, right? Well, that’s the strange world of Stockholm Syndrome! Named after a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, where hostages ended up defending the robbers, it’s a rare psychological condition where victims start forming emotional bonds with their captors. From criminal heists to real-life kidnappings, Stockholm Syndrome proves that sometimes, the mind plays some truly weird tricks when survival is on the line. Below are some of the most famous and unsettling cases where Stockholm Syndrome has played a significant role in our understanding of this complex disorder.
Table of Contents
1. The Norrmalmstorg Bank Robbery (1973)
The case that gave Stockholm Syndrome its name occurred during a six-day bank siege in Stockholm, Sweden. Four hostages were held in a vault by Jan-Erik Olsson, who demanded the release of another criminal, Clark Olofsson. During the ordeal, the hostages began sympathizing with their captors, even defending them after their release. Some of them later visited their captors in prison, coining the term that describes the psychological bond.
2. Patty Hearst (1974)
One of the most famous cases of Stockholm Syndrome is that of Patty Hearst, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. Kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), she was held hostage for months, during which she appeared to switch sides. Hearst ended up participating in robberies alongside the SLA, claiming she had been brainwashed. Her case remains one of the most widely debated examples of the syndrome.
3. Colleen Stan – The Girl in the Box (1977-1984)
Colleen Stan’s abduction by Cameron and Janice Hooker remains one of the most bizarre cases of captivity. Held in a box for 23 hours a day and subjected to torture for seven years, Stan was manipulated into believing that an imaginary organization would kill her and her family if she tried to escape. Despite several opportunities to leave, she did not, and she even grew attached to her captors, especially Janice Hooker, who eventually helped her escape.
4. Mary McElroy (1933)
Mary McElroy, the daughter of a wealthy Kansas City official, was kidnapped by four men and held for ransom. After being released unharmed, McElroy shocked the public by expressing sympathy for her captors, even visiting them in prison and testifying for their defense during their trials. Her sympathetic feelings were so intense that she remained emotionally affected by the case until her death.
5. Natasha Kampusch (1998-2006)
Natasha Kampusch was kidnapped at the age of 10 by Austrian Wolfgang Přiklopil and held captive for eight years in a cellar. Despite the years of abuse and control, Kampusch showed signs of emotional attachment to Přiklopil after her escape, reportedly weeping when she heard of his death by suicide. In interviews, she has spoken about how she felt empathy for her captor’s isolated and tormented life, a hallmark of Stockholm Syndrome. Natasha’s story inspired the film 3096 days.
6. Jaycee Lee Dugard (1991-2009)
Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped at the age of 11 by Phillip and Nancy Garrido and held for 18 years. During this time, Dugard was brainwashed, manipulated, and even gave birth to two children by Phillip Garrido. Despite being held in deplorable conditions, she later described moments of attachment to her captors, demonstrating a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome.
7. The Iran Embassy Siege (1980)
During the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London, 26 hostages were taken by six armed terrorists. After the British Special Air Service (SAS) raided the building to free the hostages, some of them expressed sympathy for the terrorists. One hostage, in particular, became emotionally distressed upon seeing his captors being killed during the rescue operation.
8. The Elizabeth Smart Case (2002)
Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped at the age of 14 by Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee. For nine months, she was held in captivity, enduring abuse and manipulation. Despite her harrowing ordeal, Smart once had the opportunity to escape when she was left in public but did not. She later explained that she felt completely controlled by her captors, an aspect of Stockholm Syndrome.
9. Shawn Hornbeck (2002-2007)
Shawn Hornbeck was abducted at the age of 11 by Michael Devlin and held for over four years. Devlin allowed Hornbeck to live a relatively “normal” life under an alias, and he even attended school. Despite several chances to escape, Hornbeck didn’t, largely due to the emotional manipulation and fear imposed by his captor, leading to a case resembling Stockholm Syndrome.
10. Steven Stayner (1972-1980)
Steven Stayner was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell at the age of 7 and held for eight years. Parnell manipulated Stayner into believing he had been abandoned by his family, leading Stayner to bond with his captor. Despite eventually escaping, Stayner reportedly developed conflicted feelings toward Parnell.
11. Sabine Dardenne (1996)
Sabine Dardenne was kidnapped by serial killer Marc Dutroux when she was 12 years old. Although Dutroux abused her for nearly three months, Dardenne reportedly began to show sympathy for him during her captivity, as she was brainwashed into believing he was her protector. Her case is a chilling example of how captors can manipulate their victims into dependency.
12. Josef Fritzl’s Daughter (1984-2008)
Elisabeth Fritzl was imprisoned in a cellar by her father, Josef Fritzl, for 24 years. Over that time, she was subjected to repeated abuse and had seven children with her father. Despite the unimaginable conditions, Elisabeth developed a complex emotional relationship with her father, further complicated by her long-term isolation.
13. Ariel Castro Kidnappings (2002-2013)
Ariel Castro kidnapped three women—Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus—and held them captive in his house in Cleveland for over a decade. After their escape, it was revealed that the women had suffered years of abuse, yet Amanda Berry managed to bond with Castro in small ways, caring for her child fathered by him. The emotional complexity of the relationship between victim and captor was another instance of Stockholm Syndrome.
Conclusion
Stockholm Syndrome remains one of the most bizarre and complex psychological phenomena, where victims of kidnapping and abuse develop bonds with their captors. These 13 cases highlight the strange and unsettling ways in which the human mind adapts to extreme situations, sometimes resulting in emotional attachment to those who inflict harm.