Hello and thank you for downloading witness on the BBC World Service with me

Dina Newman. Today we are going back to Sweden in August 1973 and a hostage

situation which would become famous for the strong bond which developed

between the hostages and their captors. The condition was later named the Stockholm Syndrome.

On the 23rd of August, 1973, the main office of Sveregis Credit Bank, right in the center of Stockholm, had just opened its doors when a man with a canvas

suitcase walked in, whipped out a sub-machine gun and fired at the ceiling.

I was scared, of course, and I lay down on the floor. The robber man came

behind the desk and pointed out me and two of my colleagues to stand up and I think my brain was cut off.

It was just nameless dread because it was so realistic.

I never in my worst nightmares could have thought that this could happen.

Christine Anmark was one of the bank's employees, just 23 at the time.

She and two female colleagues were singled out as hostages by a bank robber who was armed

to the teeth.

He shot and wounded an armed police officer.

He tied up the hostages, and he began to set out his demands.

He wanted a lot of money, a car and another criminal to be delivered from jail.

When he asked this other criminal, Cloculoson, to be taken to the bank,

I thought this is going to be hell because he was a very famous

criminal in Sweden described as extremely dangerous. In a bit to diffuse the

situation the police brought Clark

Olafson to the scene and let him join the first robber in the bank.

Immediately Clark took control.

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