Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette Marit, has been convicted of two rape charges and sentenced to four years in prison.
The 29-year-old, who became part of the royal family when Mette-Marit wed Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, has refuted the most serious allegations against him, including those related to rape, and has the opportunity to challenge the judgment.
Høiby, who was absent during the court ruling but attended via video link, had previously requested release from custody to visit his critically ill mother.
Princess Mette-Marit, aged 52, is afflicted with pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that leads to the progressive scarring and stiffening of lung tissue, necessitating her placement on a lung transplant waitlist.
Individuals on the transplant list typically suffer from advanced lung ailments and face a notably reduced life expectancy without a transplant, with many at high risk of death within two years.
Prosecutors had advocated for a sentence of seven years and seven months for Høiby, while his defense attorneys sought a shorter term of 18 months.
The high-profile trial, which captivated Norway for weeks, revealed that Høiby had sexually assaulted four women between 2018 and 2024 while they were asleep or incapacitated, with one alleged rape occurring in the basement of the crown prince’s family residence.
Additionally, he was accused of mistreating an ex-girlfriend both physically and psychologically from 2022 to 2023, and exhibiting violent behavior towards another former partner.
His legal team asserted that he “vehemently denies all allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as most charges related to violence.”
Following his initial arrest in August 2024, Høiby, through his lawyer, disclosed that he struggles with “various mental disorders” and has battled substance abuse for an extended period.
This development transpired as Crown Princess Mette-Marit expressed regret for her “poor judgment” in maintaining ties with convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction.