I read the original article and I don't think it's anything like how you are portraying it here. There are cases of stockholm syndrome between partners but there isn't a shred of evidence to show previous abuse or malicious behavior before the incident.
I'm Puerto Rican and Cuban. 12 years ago my Salvadorian boyfriend and I were throwing used up fireworks into a pile of garbage in the center of the street after a block party. He threw one that accidentally landed on my head and it hadn't completely gone out. We screamed and he was able to get it out of my hair on time before it all lit up.
Would people assume it was intentional had he been white?