Stockholm syndrome:The Mystery of Loving an Abuser - Part 2

THIS STUDENT FELL IN LOVE WITH HER TEACHER KIDNAPPER

We all know that relationships between teachers and students are more common now than ever. But it's a rare case when the teacher actually "kidnaps" his lover students and tries to make a run for it. This was the case in a much-publicized recent news story involving a teacher named Tad Cummins and his 15-year-old lover, Elizabeth Thomas. The 50-year-old man was caught kissing Elizabeth in his classroom multiple times before the two were ordered to stay away from each other and put in different classes. Then, all of a sudden, Tad Cummins and Elizabeth vanished, and it was clear that they had run away together. One day after the kidnapping, Tad Cummins was fired. A nationwide search was undertaken, and Elizabeth was found in a cabin. According to the authorities, Tad Cummins did not coerce, encourage or force himself on Elizabeth in any way. The general feeling is that this was something that consensually happened between the girl and her "kidnapper." The only reason this is classified as kidnapping is because of the girl's age. Elizabeth's family's lawyer dismisses these ideas, and claims that the incident constitutes a classic case of "grooming" and manipulation.