In brief
Marius Borg Høiby, the 29‑year‑old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, has been found guilty of two rape convictions and handed a four‑year prison term. The trial, held at Oslo District Court, marked a rare instance of a royal family member’s close associate being prosecuted. The verdict casts a shadow over the royal house, especially as the Crown Princess is now on a lung‑transplant waiting list due to pulmonary fibrosis. Høiby’s defense sought a lighter sentence and has indicated plans to appeal, while the court highlighted potential risks regarding the convicted’s release. The case underscores broader concerns in Norway about justice in rape prosecutions, with experts noting high evidential thresholds and a significant rate of acquitted cases.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, the son of Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison by the Oslo District Court. The allegations involve victims who were either asleep or incapacitated during the assaults. Høiby denied the charges, but the judges upheld the convictions.
The trial took place in courtroom 250, with Høiby attending by video link due to unspecified health reasons. His defense lawyers had requested a sentence of 18 months, while prosecutors had sought a seven‑year term. Protestors cited videos recovered from Høiby’s phone after his arrest that showed the incidents.
In addition to the rape convictions, Høiby was found guilty of abuses against an ex‑girlfriend, influencer Nora Haukland, and of causing serious bodily harm to another partner. He was also convicted of violating a restraining order against a victim living in Oslo’s Frogner borough.
The court imposed a compensation order of 640,000 kroner (£50,000) on Høiby to be paid to four of the victims, including Nora Haukland, the only person the court confirmed the identity of. The judge’s ruling emphasized that the victims could not resist the attacks due to their inactive states at the time.
Høiby's case has reverberated across Norwegian society, calling attention to the discourse around sexual violence. Criminologist Anja Emilie Kruse noted that despite a high evidential burden, many rape accusations are dismissed at the police precinct, and a third of cases that reach court end in acquittal.
The trial’s backdrop includes longstanding public concern: Crown Princess Mette‑Marit is now on a lung‑transplant waiting list because of severe pulmonary fibrosis. Her declining health, coupled with the controversy over her former friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, has intensified scrutiny on the royal family’s integrity.
Royal correspondent Caroline Vagle has reported that while the Crown Princess’ health concerns dominate the narrative, the public’s perception of the monarchy has shifted in response to Høiby’s verdict. The palace has chosen not to comment on the outcome, and previous statements about Mette‑Marit’s health have been withheld until after her transplant.
Experts suggest that the royal institution faces a “crisis” familiar from the Høiby case, whereby the family must confront reputational damage while addressing a member’s criminal conduct. They recommend that the family support the convicted’s sentence and pursue ways to mitigate reputational harm by acknowledging the wrongdoing.
Høiby remains in Ila prison outside Oslo, where defense agents Petar Sekulic and Ellen Holager Andenæs have visited. Sekulic said an appeal is likely, as his client denies further culpability. The court’s final judgment announced a comprehensive 128‑page rationale for the family's judgment, reflecting on the gravity of the cases and the broader societal implications.
