Verdict expected in case against Marius Borg Høiby – son of Norwegian Crown Princess charged with rape allegations
On Monday, a verdict is expected in the trial against Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit. He is charged with multiple rapes, drug offences and traffic violations.
Verdict expected in case against Marius Borg Høiby
On Monday, a verdict is expected from Oslo District Court in the case against Marius Borg Høiby. The 29-year-old son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit must defend himself in court after nearly seven weeks of hearings. He is charged with, amongst other things, multiple rapes as well as drug and traffic offences.
During the trial, alleged victims, witnesses, psychologists, sleep experts and the defendant himself were questioned. A central disputed issue was whether the sexual acts were consensual, or whether the women were affected by drugs or asleep. As early as the third day of the trial, Høiby caused a stir with a statement claiming that the alleged victims had given him permission to continue with intercourse even if they were asleep – an agreement that, according to his account, existed but was never used.
Partially explicit videos that Høiby had recorded of the women were shown as evidence. In addition, text messages were read aloud that painted a picture of toxic relationships. The assault and rape charges took up most of the trial days. Towards the end of the trial, the alleged drug and traffic offences were dealt with, some of which the Norwegian has already admitted to.
Høiby is defended by lawyers Petar Sekulic and Ellen Holager Andenæs, a well-known Norwegian defence lawyer and former police leader. The alleged victims and witnesses appeared anonymously, with the exception of Høiby's ex-girlfriend Nora Haukland, a 29-year-old influencer and winner of the reality show "Love Island Norge".
The prosecution is seeking a considerably harsher sentence than the defence. The most serious charge – the rapes – is simultaneously the most difficult to prove. As lawyer Servet Yildiz Stærk explained to the newspaper 20 Minuten, such acts typically take place in private surroundings without independent eyewitnesses. Mixed results are possible: conviction on some counts, acquittal on others.
Decisive for the verdict will be the court's assessment of credibility as well as the evaluation of digital evidence. A change in the law that came into force on 1 July 2025, and which abolished the minimum sentence of three years for certain rape provisions, could work in Høiby's favour. Norwegian law recognises the principle of lex mitior: if a new law leads to a milder result, it can be applied.
Høiby has been in custody since the end of the trial and has been hospitalised several times in recent months. He will not be present at the announcement of the verdict. His mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, suffers from a chronic lung disease and must undergo a lung transplant. A request for release to visit his sick mother was rejected by the court.
Source: 20 Minuten
Source: 20 Minuten