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What is Lima syndrome?
Thanks for asking. You may have heard of Stockholm syndrome, which is when a hostage or a victim develops a positive bond with their captor or abuser.
But did you know that there is an opposite of Stockholm syndrome which sees that dynamic flipped?
It's called Lima syndrome.
If you've ever watched Money Heist, Just think of Denver, and how he ends up falling in love with his captive Monica.
Where does the name come from?
The rare and intriguing phenomenon is named after the Peruvian capital city of Lima.
It emerged in the context of a turbulent period in Peruvian history.
From the 1980s onwards, an armed conflict opposed the government in communist guerrilla groups like the Sendero Luminoso and Movimento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru, or MRTA for short.
In 1996 a group of MRTA militants stormed a party at the Japanese Embassy in Lima.
Taking hundreds of guests as hostages, including diplomats and government officials, their main demand was the release of their fellow members from prisons around Peru.
In what might seem like a counterintuitive move, the captors gradually released the majority of hostages, starting out with all foreign female hostages on the first night, and most of the foreign male hostages within five days.
By the time Peruvian Special Forces eventually raided the embassy just over 4 months later, only 72 hostages remained captive.
The accounts of some freed hostages suggested that the MRTA militants may have formed a bond with some of their captives, and wanted to prevent any danger of them being harmed.
Why does it happen, then?
Lima Syndrome isn't necessarily a pathological condition, but it highlights the complexity of human emotions and the power dynamics at play in hostage situations.
It challenges our understanding of captor -victim relationships, and reminds us that psychological reactions can manifest in unexpected ways.
Peruvian psychiatrist Mariano Querol was himself a victim of ransom kidnapping in 1992.
Several years later, he published a book entitled Memory of Captivity, in which he shared first -hand insights into the empathy of his captors.
He said they adopted attitudes and behaviors that showed acceptance of his ideas, norms, and attitudes.
Furthermore, he said there had been a bond of sympathy, empathy, camaraderie and communication.
Carroll perhaps realised it was in his interest to turn things friendly.
He went on to explain how he told his captors that he did rhythmic gymnastics every morning and had them play salsa or rap music for him to dance to.
Lima Syndrome hasn't received as much attention as its counterpart, Stockholm Syndrome.
but it offers valuable insights into the complexity of captor -victim relationships.
As explained by a Healthline article on the subject, we may initially see Lima Syndrome in a positive light because of the connection that develops between captor or abuser and victim, but we shouldn't forget that such situations arise within an unequal power dynamic and often under traumatic circumstances.
There you have it. Now you know what Lima Syndrome is.
In under three minutes we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines.
Listen along and you will really know for sure.
