Marius Borg Høiby, 29, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, was sentenced on Monday to four years in prison by an Oslo court. He was found guilty of two rapes, as well as domestic violence and other offenses.
Two other rape accusations dismissed
The court did not uphold all the sexual assault charges. Marius Borg Høiby was acquitted of two other rape charges. He had denied the most serious accusations, while admitting to some lesser ones. He can still appeal the verdict.
Violence, threats, drugs and traffic violations
The case went far beyond the rape allegations. Marius Borg Høiby faced around forty charges, including repeated violence against a former partner, threats, drug-related offenses, violations of restraining orders, and traffic violations.
The trial took place in Oslo between February and March. The prosecution had requested a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison. The defense, for its part, requested acquittal on the rape charges and argued for a maximum sentence of one and a half years for the admitted charges.
The verdict was followed from prison.
Held in pretrial detention since the beginning of February, Marius Borg Høiby was not physically present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered. He followed the decision via videoconference from Ila prison, citing health reasons as reported by his defense.
Victims compensated
The court also ordered compensation payments to several women, including Nora Haukland, Marius Borg Høiby's former partner and the only publicly identified victim in the case.
A special status within the royal family
Marius Borg Høiby is the son of Mette-Marit, born before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. He does not hold a royal title, but his name remains directly linked to the Norwegian royal family. This conviction places one of the country's most sensitive legal cases at the forefront of national news.
