©picture alliance/dpa | Julia Wäschenbach
Marius Borg Høiby has been sentenced in Oslo to four years in prison for, among other things, two rapes. The 29-year-old son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit stood trial on forty charges and must also pay tens of thousands of euros in damages.
After seven weeks, the highly publicized trial came to an end on Monday. Høiby was not present in the courtroom himself for medical reasons, but followed the verdict via a video link from prison. The court found him guilty of two counts of rape but acquitted him in two other cases. He was also convicted of assault, threats, reckless behavior, and traffic offenses.
In addition to the prison sentence, Høiby was ordered to comply with a two-year restraining order related to violence against a woman in the Lofoten Islands. He had previously been convicted of assaulting Nora Haukland. In total, he must pay his victims approximately 60,000 euros.
Much of the trial revolved around footage that Høiby had taken himself. Photos and videos of encounters with women played a central role in the case. The defense argued that those recordings were not conclusive and that, without that material, the case essentially came down to one person’s word against another’s. Høiby denied having sex without consent, but did admit to some other facts.
The investigation began in early February following an incident at the apartment of one of his ex-girlfriend. During the incident, he allegedly attacked her, ripped a chandelier off the wall, and threw a knife into the wall. He was later also charged with transporting 3.5 kilograms of cannabis and giving police officers the middle finger.
Høiby, who is not officially a member of the Norwegian royal family, is often referred to in the press as the “scandal prince.” The prosecutor had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison. The defense requested a sentence of one and a half years. Høiby himself faced a maximum sentence of sixteen years in prison.
©picture alliance/dpa | Julia Wäschenbach