Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway, has been convicted of two counts of rape and has been sentenced to four years in jail.
The 29-year-old, who became part of the royal family when Mette-Marit wedded Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, has refuted the most serious allegations against him, which include rape, and has the right to challenge the ruling.
Although Høiby was not physically present in court for the judgment, he appeared via video link and 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 causes the gradual scarring and stiffening of lung tissue, leading her to join a lung transplant waiting list.
Individuals on the transplant list typically suffer from advanced lung ailments and have a notably reduced life expectancy without a transplant, with many facing a high risk of death within two years.
Prosecutors advocated for a prison term of seven years and seven months for Høiby, while his defense attorneys argued for a shorter sentence of 18 months.
The high-profile trial captivated Norway for weeks, unveiling accusations that Høiby had sexually assaulted four women between 2018 and 2024 while they were asleep or incapacitated, with one alleged assault occurring in the basement of the crown prince’s family residence.
Apart from the rape charges, he was accused of physically and psychologically mistreating an ex-girlfriend from 2022 to 2023 and displaying violent behavior towards another former partner.
Høiby’s legal team stated that he denies all allegations of sexual abuse and most charges related to violence. In a statement following his initial arrest in August 2024, Høiby disclosed his struggles with “several mental disorders” and long-standing substance abuse.
The trial coincided with Crown Princess Mette-Marit expressing regret for her “poor judgment” in maintaining ties with convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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