Son of Norwegian Princess Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Rape and Assault
Marius Borg Høiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison for two counts of rape, domestic violence and other criminal offences.
Son of Norwegian Princess Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Rape and Assault
A court in Oslo has found Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, guilty of two counts of rape, in addition to domestic violence and other criminal offences. The 29-year-old man has been sentenced to four years in prison.
The court acquitted Høiby of two additional rape charges. During the trial, he pleaded not guilty to the most serious allegations, including rape, but admitted to certain lesser matters. The sentence can be appealed. The prosecution had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison.
For health reasons, Høiby did not attend in person at the announcement of the verdict, but followed proceedings via video link from prison. Shortly after the verdict was delivered, he submitted a new request for release from custody, according to Norwegian media. He has previously requested this citing his mother's poor health condition.
Høiby faced charges on 40 counts. The trial included, among other things, allegations of rape of four women, physical and psychological violence against former partners, and drug offences. The scandal broke out in August 2024, when he was first arrested, suspected of attacking his girlfriend the night before. The investigation into this attack led to the uncovering of other alleged criminal offences, as police found video recordings and images of rapes on his phone and laptop.
Only when police called them in for questioning and showed them the recordings did four alleged victims become aware that they had been raped. He is said to have raped them following evening parties where he used alcohol and drugs.
The seven-week trial was closely followed by Norwegians, and Høiby's actions have significantly reduced the popularity of the royal family. During the trial, Norwegians learned that Høiby struggled with drug addiction and that he filmed videos of sexual acts in which he himself participated. One alleged rape is said to have occurred in the basement of the family home, where he lived together with his mother and Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon.
A public opinion poll conducted during the trial in February showed that only 60 per cent of Norwegians supported the continuation of the monarchy, the lowest ever recorded. 27 per cent favoured a different form of government. Just a month earlier, 70 per cent had been positive towards the monarchy. In May, however, 64 per cent supported the royal house, whilst 23 per cent favoured another form of government.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit also suffers from serious health problems. In 2018, she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Her health condition has deteriorated further recently, and she was recently placed on a waiting list for lung transplantation. Without this procedure, according to doctors, she would have only one year left to live.
Source: RTV Slovenija
Source: RTV SLO