Son of Norway’s crown princess is found guilty of rape and jailed for four years
The son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been jailed for four years after being found guilty of rape.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was convicted today of two counts of rape following a seven-week trial that gripped Norway and laid bare allegations of violence, drug abuse and sexual misconduct.
An Oslo court also found him guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, issuing threats and committing traffic offences, although he was acquitted of two other rape charges.
The conviction marks a fall for Høiby, who grew up in the public eye after his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.
Although he does not hold a royal title or carry out official duties, he has long been closely associated with the Norwegian royal family.
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad handed down the sentence after hearing evidence linked to 40 charges, including four alleged rapes, assaults, breaches of restraining orders, drug offences and driving violations. One charge relating to a restraining-order violation was overturned.
The court heard how Høiby’s drug addiction spiralled in recent years, while investigators presented more than 800 messages and a series of self-made videos of sexual encounters as evidence during the trial.
One alleged rape took place in the basement of the Crown Prince’s family home, the court was told.
Hoiby, 29, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship prior to her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, was accused of 40 charges
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway’s health has deteriorated – and she is on the lung transplant list (pictured in May)
Høiby, who denied the most serious allegations while admitting to some lesser offences, was not physically present in court for the verdict and instead joined proceedings via video link.
The verdict comes at an especially difficult time for Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose health has deteriorated sharply 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.
Last week, Oslo District Court initially approved Høiby’s release from custody so he could spend time with his mother while she awaits a transplant. However, prosecutors appealed the decision and a higher court overturned the ruling, meaning he remained behind bars ahead of Monday’s verdict.
The royal family has also faced renewed scrutiny over Mette-Marit’s past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, adding to the pressure surrounding one of the most damaging scandals to hit the Norwegian monarchy in decades.
