In Muted, characters like Ana and Marta suffer from a condition called hybristophilia, because of which they are attracted to a criminal like Sergio Ciscar.
Hybristophilia is a condition where a person is sexually attracted to those who commit crimes. Ana talks about this condition with Marta after noticing the kind of bond Marta shares with Sergio.
Ana also points out that Marta is not the only person who suffers from it, which is true. Despite being a criminal, Sergio did have many fans, and they wrote letters to him inside prison.
Apart from Marta, Beatriz is another girl who visited her boyfriend, Charlie, inside the prison and met Sergio there. Although Sergio is the one to make the first move on her, Beatriz doesn’t forget about him.
Beatriz eventually falls for him and keeps writing him letters, in which she mentions how she is ready to do anything to be with him.
By the end of the series, it is revealed that even Ana suffers from hybristophilia. Everyone questioned her obsession with Sergio’s case. The way she treated this case personally and pleased herself watching him hinted that there is more to this.
Later, Beñat mentions that she too sent letters to Sergio. In the finale, Ana confesses how much she relates to Sergio’s struggles, as she feels misunderstood and an outsider in her friend and family circle.
Is hybristophilia a real condition?
Hybristophilia is a real condition. It is a behavior where people develop a sexual and romantic attraction to criminals who commit atrocious, gruesome, and extraordinary crimes. It is also called Bonnie and Clyde Syndrome.
Many high-profile criminals over the years have received fan mail from people, and some of the criminals have even gone on to marry the person writing letters to them.
Ted Bundy, for example, received hundreds of love letters from women. He even married one of his admirers, Carole Ann Boone.
For the people who suffer from hybristophilia, criminals are people who are just misunderstood and need love. There is not much known about this paraphilia, but there are speculations suggesting that people who suffer from it likely have a history of abuse.
Hybristophilia occurs more in women than men, and it is said that women who suffer from this condition fall in love with criminals for various reasons. Probably because of these criminals’ masculinity or sometimes to gain fame.
Some women seek a thrill out of their daily mundane life. There is also the notion that criminals can be perfect boyfriends. Some, like Marta, believe they can help criminals like Sergio by providing them with love and company.
There are two types of hybristophilia: passive and aggressive. Muted primarily portrays women who have passive hybristophilia, where they are sexually attracted to Sergio.
Aggressive hybristophilia is the condition where a person not only falls in love with a criminal but also actively participates in criminal activities.
Also Read: Ana Dussuel: Muted character explained