Norwegian Royal Family Member Convicted of Rape Among 40 Charges

The son of the Norwegian Crown Princess has been found guilty of two counts of rape. An Oslo court sentenced him to four years in prison on June 15, as reported by Deutsche Welle.

29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby has pleaded not guilty. He has the right to appeal the court's decision. He is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon.

Høiby faced a total of 40 charges. The maximum penalty for these crimes could have been 16 years in prison. The rape charges relate to incidents involving four women between 2018 and 2024. It is noted that the victims were asleep or unable to defend themselves at the time.

The prosecutor had requested a seven-year and seven-month prison sentence. The defense sought acquittal on the rape charges, arguing that for the acts he admitted to, he should receive a maximum of 18 months.

The prosecution described Høiby as someone who "thinks he has the right to do whatever he wants." The 29-year-old himself stated he "does not have a habit of having sex with sleeping women." At the same time, he accused the media of portraying him as a "beast."

The court also found him guilty of domestic violence against a former girlfriend, making threats, and traffic violations. However, he was acquitted of two other rape charges.

The seven-week trial caused a major stir in Norway. The hearings also addressed Høiby's drug addiction. Evidence presented included videos of sexual acts and over 800 text messages.