Kidnapping

Early Forms of Kidnapping

Slavery is an early form of kidnapping. Free peoples were often kidnapped and sold into the slave trade. In Roman times, conquered nations were required to supply the Roman army with soldiers, and that was accomplished through kidnapping and enslavement. During the Middle Ages, kings and other nobility were frequently ransomed after losing battles and wars. Hostage taking is a modern form of mass kidnapping. During the 1500 to 1800s, sailors from one country were often kidnapped and forced to be sailors for other countries. This practice was called [Page 272]being shanghaied or impressed into service for other governments.

Kidnapping in America

Early in the 20th century, kidnapping for ransom gained notoriety in America. In 1932, the son of Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped and held for ransom. This event led to the passing of the “Lindbergh Law,” which focused on kidnapping across state lines and made it a federal offense punishable by death. The law was later amended in 1956 to allow the FBI to investigate any kidnapping after 24 hours, even within state lines.

Another widely publicized kidnapping occurred on February 4, 1974, with the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, heir to the Hearst fortune, by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). This kidnapping marked the first time in modern American history that someone had been kidnapped for political purposes. The SLA wanted the release of two of its members from prison, as well as money from Hearst's parents. She became the victim of Stockholm syndrome, which occurs when the kidnapped victim becomes sympathetic to or begins to identify with his or her kidnappers or their ideology. Hearst was later convicted of bank robbery and served a short time in prison before having her sentence commuted by President Carter.

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