A hostage-holder is an individual or group that takes another person captive, typically to secure certain demands or negotiate terms under duress. The act is often associated with acts of terrorism, crime, or conflicts where the hostage's safety is leveraged to exert pressure on authorities or opposing parties.
Hostage-holder meaning with examples
- The hostage-holder issued a series of demands, threatening to harm the captives if their conditions were not met, showcasing the dangerous power dynamics often seen in such situations.
- During the standoff, the police worked tirelessly to negotiate with the hostage-holder, aiming to secure the safe release of the innocents trapped inside the building.
- Reports emerged that the hostage-holder was acting on behalf of a larger organization, complicating the negotiations and raising concerns about the potential for violence.
- In an unexpected turn, the hostage-holder released one of the captives, hoping to gain public sympathy while still holding the others for ransom.
- Psychological profiling revealed that the hostage-holder often used manipulation as a tactic, striving to maintain control over the hostages' emotions during the tense ordeal.