An Oslo court sentenced 29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, stepson of Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, to 4 years in prison after finding him guilty of two counts of rape and repeated assault of his ex-girlfriend. Evidence included secretly recorded videos on his mobile phone showing the victim unconscious, with one rape incident occurring inside the royal residence.
The Oslo court delivered a verdict sentencing Marius Borg Høiby to 4 years in prison for over 40 charges, including two counts of rape, domestic violence against a former partner, threats, and offenses related to drugs and traffic. However, the court acquitted him of two other rape charges. The 4-year sentence was less than the 7 years and 7 months demanded by the prosecution.
This case shocked the public, as one of the rape incidents he was convicted of occurred inside the official residence of Norway’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess in 2018.
During the verdict reading via video conference, Høiby, held in custody since 1 February, did not appear in court due to medical reasons. One victim attending the hearing could not hold back tears upon hearing the judge declare him guilty.
The trial, lasting from 3 February to 19 March, revealed the troubled life of Høiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit's previous marriage before her wedding to Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. Høiby holds no royal title and has no steady profession.
Høiby testified in court, "I am known only as my mother's son, so I have long craved acceptance, which manifested as obsessions with sex, drugs, and alcohol."
The rape incidents between 2018 and 2024 often followed nights of partying. The prosecution stated that although the women initially consented, Høiby sexually assaulted them while they were deeply unconscious and unable to resist. His defense argued he had no intent and "did not have sex with sleeping women" but admitted to other offenses, including smuggling 3.5 kilograms of cannabis.
Shockingly, the victims did not initially report the rapes. Police discovered over 800 secretly recorded videos of sexual acts with unconscious victims on Høiby’s phone and computer during his arrest on 4 August 2024 for assaulting his current girlfriend in an apartment, where media reported images of a knife lodged in the wall and shattered chandeliers. Subsequently, Nora Haugland, a famous influencer and his ex-girlfriend, came forward alleging she endured a "dark era of fear" due to his physical and psychological abuse.
This scandal involving the stepson severely damaged the pristine image of the Norwegian royal family. A Norstat poll during the trial showed support for maintaining the monarchy plummeted to a historic low of 60% from 70% in January, before slightly recovering to 64% in May.
The crisis coincided with another storm as Crown Princess Mette-Marit formally apologized to the public for "a lapse in judgment" regarding her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the American billionaire convicted of sex trafficking in 2008.
Previously, Høiby requested bail before sentencing to care for his ailing mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, aged 52, who suffers from worsening pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal lung disease causing breathing difficulty. She is currently on the waiting list for a lung transplant. However, the court ultimately denied his bail request.
Source: AFP /Reuters