Conviction and Sentencing
Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway’s crown princess, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of multiple offences, including two counts of rape. Additionally, he received a two-year restraining order against one of his victims.
The Oslo district court delivered the verdict on Monday morning, following a six-week trial that concluded nearly three months ago.
Details of the Case
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad found Høiby guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, the only victim publicly named. The court ordered Høiby to pay compensation to Haukland and three other women.
Høiby was acquitted of two other rape charges.
In total, Høiby faced 40 charges, including four counts of rape and assault, multiple breaches of restraining orders, as well as drug and driving offences. One charge related to violating a restraining order was later overturned.
Defence and Prosecution Positions
Høiby, aged 29, pleaded not guilty to the most serious charges, including rape, while admitting to some lesser offences. He retains the right to appeal the verdict.
He attended court via video link from Ila prison, with his defence citing health reasons for this arrangement.
Prosecutors requested a sentence of seven years and seven months, whereas defence lawyers argued for acquittal on the rape allegations and no more than 18 months for admitted offences.
Nature of the Charges
The rape charges involve four different women between 2018 and 2024. In each instance, the women were allegedly asleep or heavily incapacitated at the time of the assaults.
Context and Impact
The trial occurred during a challenging period for the Norwegian royal family, which has been dealing with the serious illness of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Høiby’s mother. The princess has also been under scrutiny due to her past association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, the Oslo district court agreed to release Høiby, who has been in custody since shortly before his trial began on 3 February, to allow him to spend time with his mother as she awaits a lung transplant. However, this decision was overturned by the court of appeal.
Public and Media Attention
The trial attracted significant attention both within Norway and internationally. On the morning of the verdict, journalists queued outside the court before it opened at 7:30 am.
