In the midst of holiday cheer and tidings of goodwill, it can be hard to remember that sometimes, bad things happen: but the world was reminded again recently after the hostage situation in Sydney, Australia reached a climax on December 16th. But, as always, it could have been worse: here are some of the most traumatic and volatile hostage crises in recent history.
1.) Patty Hearst.
The leftist Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) kidnapped American newspaper heiress Patty Hearst in 1974. The reason her kidnapping is notable is because Hearst eventually began to sympathize with her captors and joined their cause.
Hearst was arrested and imprisoned after a failed SLA bank robbery. She served two years in prison before having her sentence commuted by President Carter. She eventually received a presidential pardon from President Clinton. Hearst’s reaction to her kidnapping by joining her captors was attributed to Stockholm syndrome.
