Crown Princess's eldest son sentenced to four years in prison for rape
Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was on Monday sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape.
Crown Princess's eldest son sentenced to four years in prison for rape
Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was on Monday sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape.
The sentence was handed down in Oslo District Court, where Høiby was found guilty of two of four rape charges, whilst he was acquitted of the remaining two, according to NPR.
The 29-year-old man was charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist his actions between 2018 and 2024. He denied the rape charges but admitted to several of the less serious matters.
The indictment comprised a total of 40 criminal offences, including four counts of rape as well as charges of assault, threats and abuse. In addition to the rape sentence, he was convicted of lesser offences including grievous bodily harm, drug-related crimes and breach of a restraining order.
The prosecution had sought seven years and seven months in prison, whilst his defence team argued that Høiby should be acquitted of the rape charges and receive a maximum of 18 months for the matters he had admitted to.
The six-week trial concluded in March following testimonies from several victims and the presentation of evidence, including messages, photographs and videos from Høiby's mobile telephone. The rape charges pertained to four different women, and in each case the women were allegedly asleep or heavily intoxicated.
The case has attracted considerable international attention due to Høiby's connection to the royal family. Although he holds no royal title or official duties, he is the Crown Princess's son from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, and he grew up in the household alongside the future king.
Interest intensified in recent days following a deterioration in Mette-Marit's health. The Crown Princess, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis and is awaiting a lung transplant, was central to legal arguments about whether her son should be granted temporary release from custody pending the verdict. The Court of Appeal determined that Høiby should remain in custody whilst awaiting the sentence.
The trial also took place amid renewed scrutiny of the royal family following revelations about Mette-Marit's previous contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender. She has publicly apologised for the connection and stated that she showed poor judgement in maintaining contact with him. She has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Source: NPR
Source: Google News MT