Son of Norway's Crown Princess Convicted of Rape – Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
Marius Borg Høiby, stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, has been convicted of two counts of rape, one count of intimate partner abuse, and several other crimes.
Son of Norway's Crown Princess Convicted of Rape – Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
A court in Oslo has sentenced Marius Borg Høiby to four years in prison after finding him guilty of two counts of rape, one count of intimate partner abuse, and additional crimes.
Høiby, who is 29 years old, became part of the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. He was acquitted of two other rape charges.
The defendant had denied criminal responsibility for the most serious allegations, including the rape charges, whilst he admitted to some of the less serious offences. He has the option to appeal the sentence.
The prosecution had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison for Høiby.
The seven-week trial attracted significant attention throughout Scandinavia. The trial revealed Høiby's drug abuse, homemade videos of sexual encounters, and over 800 electronic messages that were presented as evidence.
One of the alleged rape incidents is said to have taken place in the basement of the Crown Prince's family home, according to court documents.
The case has contributed to weakening the popularity of the royal family. A Norstat survey from February showed that the proportion of Norwegians wishing to retain the monarchy fell to a record low of 60 per cent, down from 70 per cent in January.
Concurrent with the trial, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Høiby's mother, has experienced serious deterioration in her health. She suffers from pulmonary fibrosis and was placed on the national lung transplant list this month. Doctors have stated that she has approximately one year left to live without a transplant.
Source: NBC News
Source: Google News MT