The son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape. Marius Borg Høiby was convicted on two counts of rape following a six-week trial that exposed allegations of violence, drug abuse, and sexual misconduct.
Details of the Trial
An Oslo court also found Høiby guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, issuing threats, and committing traffic offenses. However, he was acquitted on two other rape charges. The 29-year-old faced accusations of sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad delivered the sentence after reviewing evidence related to 40 charges, including four alleged rapes, assaults, breaches of restraining orders, drug offenses, and driving violations. One charge involving a restraining-order violation was dismissed.
Evidence Presented
The court heard that Høiby's drug addiction escalated in recent years. Investigators presented over 800 messages and a series of self-made videos of sexual encounters as evidence during the trial. One alleged rape occurred in the basement of the Crown Prince's family home.
Høiby denied the most serious allegations but admitted to some lesser offenses. He was not physically present in court for the verdict and participated via video link.
Impact on Royal Family
The verdict comes at a particularly difficult time for Høiby's mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose health has severely declined in recent months. She suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that makes breathing increasingly difficult. Earlier this month, she was placed on Norway's national lung transplant waiting list after her condition worsened.
