Clark Olofsson
Encyclopedia
Clark Olofsson new name Daniel Demuynck, is a Swedish criminal best known for his involvement in the Norrmalmstorg robbery
, a hostage
situation that was the basis of the term Stockholm syndrome
.
, Sweden. When he was 8 years old, he and his two other siblings were temporarily placed in a foster home. When his mother recovered from her personal problems and got a job as a sales clerk, she was given her children back once more. They lived in a flat on Hisingen
in Gothenburg
.
Here follows a summary of his criminal career:
Norrmalmstorg robbery
The Norrmalmstorg robbery was a bank robbery and hostage crisis best known as the origin of the term Stockholm syndrome. It occurred at the Norrmalmstorg square in Stockholm, Sweden in 1973...
, a hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
situation that was the basis of the term Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
.
Early life
Olofsson grew up in an alcoholic household in TrollhättanTrollhättan
Trollhättan is a city and the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 44,498 inhabitants in 2005. It is located 75 km north of Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg....
, Sweden. When he was 8 years old, he and his two other siblings were temporarily placed in a foster home. When his mother recovered from her personal problems and got a job as a sales clerk, she was given her children back once more. They lived in a flat on Hisingen
Hisingen
Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west...
in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
.
Criminal record
Clark Olofsson has spent more than half his life behind bars.Here follows a summary of his criminal career:
- In 1963, 16 years old, he was institutionalized by the criminal justice system for minor crimes in a reform schoolReform schoolA reform school in the United States was a term used to define, often somewhat euphemistically, what was often essentially a penal institution for boys, generally teenagers.-History:...
. - In 1966 he became notorious for his involvement in the murder of Police Constable Ragnar Sandahl. His partner in crime Gunnar Norgren was arrested under dramatic circumstances. Olofsson was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for among other things attempted murderAttempted murderAttempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
. - During the Norrmalmstorg robberyNorrmalmstorg robberyThe Norrmalmstorg robbery was a bank robbery and hostage crisis best known as the origin of the term Stockholm syndrome. It occurred at the Norrmalmstorg square in Stockholm, Sweden in 1973...
in August 1973, Olofsson was taken to the bank by the police at the demand of the robber Janne Olsson. Clark Olofsson was later convicted as an accessory in the kidnapping of the bank clerks. His conviction was later overturned. - During flight from Norrköping Prison in 1975, he stole almost 1 million SEKSEKSEK may stand for:*Swedish krona, the currency of Sweden*Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches *SEK Studio, a North Korean animation studio* Stagecoach in East Kent...
from HandelsbankenHandelsbankenSvenska Handelsbanken AB is a Swedish bank.-History of Svenska Handelsbanken:The history of Svenska Handelsbanken goes back to 1871 when a number of prominent companies and individuals in Stockholm's business world founded Stockholms Handelsbank...
in GothenburgGothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. At the time of the robbery it was the biggest in Swedish criminal history. Most of the money was never found and Olofsson claims he hid it where motorway E6 runs today. For this robbery, another 8 years were added to his sentence. - In 1979 Olofsson started studying at the School of Journalism in Stockholm.
- In 1980, while on leave from prison, he got into a brawl with some fishermen on MidsummerMidsummerMidsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different...
Night's Eve and got a 2-year sentence for bodily harm. - In spite of another sentence, he managed to finish his education at the School of Journalism in 1983.
- He was released the same year and moved to Belgium with his Belgian wife.
- In 1984 he was apprehended attempting to smuggle 25 kg of amphetamineAmphetamineAmphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
into Sweden. He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. - Released from prison in October 1991, things were quiet around him for a number of years with the exception of a bar-room brawl.
- In June 1996, he was arrested outside a bank in OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
by the Norwegian policeNorwegian Police ServiceThe Norwegian Police Service is the official police force in Norway which are run by the Minister of Justice and Police. The department consists of 27 regional areas and seven national special forces. The department has about 11,000 employees....
, suspected of planning a robbery. He was released the next day. - 1999, Clark Olofsson was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in Denmark for drug trafficking. He was released in 2005.
- He was arrested again on 20 July 2008, in VarbergVarbergVarberg is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden with 26,041 inhabitants in 2005.Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their 'typical west coast' sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into...
.