General Question

flo's avatar

What if an adult kidnapping victim chooses to continue to be a kidnap victim?

Asked by flo (7794 points ) April 30th, 2014

This hasn’t happened to me by the way. Let’s say your family member, (or not) says I choose to stay, to you when you or police try rescue him or her? Should everyone tell themselves that it is their choice?

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12 Answers

johnpowell's avatar

Stockholm syndrome

Just saying that this is a known thing.

cheebdragon's avatar

Kidnapping is still illegal so if they can prove that it happened I don’t think it matters if you want to stay or not.

non_omnis_moriar's avatar

It’s called Stockholm Syndrome – very common.

flo's avatar

Thank you all. This is an example choice something means nothing. How about something non-criminal?

chyna's avatar

If it’s non-criminal is it really kidnapping? If it’s a family thing and the person wants to stay with who they are with, this isn’t a kidnapping.

flo's avatar

Not really my OP is about an adult, and an undisputed evidence of abuse.

chyna's avatar

Oh, I didn’t get the “undisputed evidence of abuse.”

flo's avatar

@chyna I forgot to put the “undisputed…” part in my OP.

ibstubro's avatar

Patty Hearst is the most famous example I know of.

Deprogramming doesn’t seem to be in the news every day, as it once was, but still appears to be an option.

wildpotato's avatar

Dang, tough one. I think the only informed answers can come from people who have been in domestic abuse situations themselves or from people who work with abuse survivors, so the first step would be to get in touch with a counselor for a center that does this work. If your question is about a non-hypothetical person, I hope everything turns out all right.

Cruiser's avatar

Like @cheebdragon points out kidnapping is a crime and you or they then are free to go back with the kidnapper after the legal system decides your/their fate.

flo's avatar

Thank you all.

@Cruiser Torture victimes are free to go and befriend their torturers too after the legal system decides their fate, that is a given, as nutty as it (that they would think of doing that) is. But why would anyone suggest doing that?

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