Norway crown princess's son sentenced to 4 years in prison after rape conviction

Norway crown princess's son sentenced to 4 years in prison after rape conviction

Marius Borg Høiby faced 40 charges including assault and drug-related crimes

Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was sentenced to four years in prison Monday after being convicted of rape.

Borg Høiby, 29, had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.

He faced a total of 40 criminal charges including some for lesser offences, such as assault, drug-related crimes and violations of a restraining order.

After a six-week trial that concluded in March, he was found guilty of two counts of rape. He was acquitted of two other rape charges.

Borg Høiby had denied the rape allegations but admitted to several of the lesser offences, including the delivery of nearly eight pounds of marijuana to an unidentified person, ⁠violating restraining orders and traffic violations.

He was also found guilty of domestic violence against a then-girlfriend between mid-2022 and the autumn of ‌2023. He repeatedly hit her in the face with his fist, choked her, slammed a door in her face and threw objects at her, the court heard during the trial.

Prosecutors had asked Oslo District Court to sentence him to seven years and seven months in prison, while defence lawyers had argued that he should be acquitted of the rape allegations and receive no more than 18 months for offences he had admitted to.

The sentence is not final and Borg Høiby can appeal.

Crown princess awaiting transplant

Borg Høiby was not present in court on Monday because of health reasons. He watched the reading of the verdict via a video link from prison.

The trial included testimony from multiple accusers and presentation of evidence, including messages, images and videos from Borg Høiby's cellphone.

The case has generated intense international attention because of Borg Høiby's connection to the royal family. Although he holds no royal title and has no official duties, he's the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to Norway's throne, and he grew up in the household with the future king.

Interest has intensified in recent days as Mette-Marit's health has deteriorated. The crown princess, who has pulmonary fibrosis and is awaiting a lung transplant, has been at the centre of legal arguments over whether her son should be granted temporary release from custody before the verdict.

Appeals courts ruled that Borg Høiby should remain detained while awaiting judgment.

The trial has also unfolded amid renewed scrutiny of the royal family following disclosures about Mette-Marit's past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender. She has publicly apologized for the association and said she exercised poor judgment in maintaining contact with him.