Oslo, Jun 16 (V7N) – Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison after an Oslo court found him guilty of two counts of rape and several other serious offenses.

A three-judge panel at the Oslo District Court ruled that two of the four rape charges against the 29-year-old were proven beyond reasonable doubt. He was acquitted of the remaining two rape allegations but convicted on numerous other charges, including violence, threats, and drug-related offenses.

According to the verdict, Høiby was found guilty of a total of 34 criminal offenses out of 40 charges brought against him. The court handed down a combined sentence of four years in prison.

Høiby did not appear in court during the verdict announcement. His legal team said he participated in the hearing via video link due to illness.

Although the case does not directly involve the Norwegian royal family, it has drawn significant public attention because of Høiby’s connection to Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Høiby, born from Mette-Marit’s previous relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, is not a member of the royal family and holds no official royal duties.

The case involved allegations from six women. The court convicted Høiby in cases involving four women and acquitted him in relation to two others. Prosecutors said the rapes occurred at the royal family’s Skaugum estate in 2018 and in separate incidents in Oslo in 2024.

The court noted that several victims were asleep or unconscious during the incidents and that video recordings discovered on Høiby’s mobile phone played a key role in the investigation.

Evidence of physical abuse and violent behavior was also presented in several related cases. Two allegations that resulted in acquittals involved incidents at an Oslo hotel and during a trip to Norway’s Lofoten Islands.

Following the verdict, Høiby’s lawyers requested his release to allow him to spend time with his ailing mother. However, the court rejected the request, citing concerns that he could come into contact with victims and potentially violate restrictions previously imposed by the court.

Meanwhile, Norwegian criminologists have argued that rape cases in the country often face significant legal hurdles due to strict evidentiary standards, which can leave many victims frustrated when cases fail to result in convictions.

END/SMA/AJ