Society

Clark Olofsson, Swedish criminal linked to Stockholm syndrome, dies at 78

Clark Olofsson, the Swedish criminal whose presence during a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm contributed to the coining of the term “Stockholm syndrome”, has died at the age of 78. His life and the events surrounding the Kreditbanken heist became emblematic of a complex psychological phenomenon in which hostages develop emotional bonds with their captors.

The Kreditbanken robbery and its legacy

The infamous Kreditbanken robbery began on 23 August 1973, when Jan-Erik Olsson, a 32-year-old convict on temporary leave from Kalmar prison, attempted to rob the bank in Stockholm’s Norrmalmstorg square. As police surrounded the building, Olsson demanded the presence of Clark Olofsson, then 26, a fellow inmate he had met in prison, known for previous convictions for armed robbery. Remarkably, Swedish authorities agreed, temporarily releasing Olofsson to help defuse the situation.

What followed was a six-day standoff. After initially releasing bystanders, Olsson and Olofsson barricaded themselves with four hostages—three women and one man—in the bank’s vault. Police negotiations stalled, and only ended on 29 August when tear gas was pumped into the vault, forcing the robbers to surrender peacefully.

The origin of “Stockholm syndrome”

During the standoff, audio recordings and later testimonies revealed an unexpected emotional dynamic: the hostages appeared to identify with and even defend their captors. One hostage later said she was more afraid of the police than the robbers.

Olofsson, for instance, comforted a female employee who had failed to reach her parents by phone; Olsson shared his food and tried to calm another hostage. These interactions led psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who advised the police, to describe the emotional alignment as a “symptom of a traumatic bonding process.” The international press later adopted the term “Stockholm syndrome” to describe the phenomenon.

Although Olofsson denied playing any role in the psychological manipulation of the hostages, his presence in the vault—coupled with the outcome of the robbery—cemented his place in criminological history. In the following years, he continued to gain media attention for various criminal offences across Europe, serving multiple prison sentences in Sweden and abroad.

A controversial figure to the end

Olofsson’s life story remained a subject of fascination and controversy in Sweden. Despite his criminal record, he maintained public visibility through interviews and even inspired books and a Netflix series. He repeatedly claimed that the media and authorities had exaggerated his role in the 1973 events.

He died in June 2025 at the age of 78. While he never escaped his criminal identity, his involvement in the Kreditbanken standoff left a lasting legacy on psychological theory and popular culture alike.

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