Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s crown princess, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of several offences, including two counts of rape. He was also sentenced to a two-year restraining order against one of his alleged victims.
The verdict was handed down by the Oslo district court on Monday morning, nearly three months since Høby’s closely watched six-week long trial.
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad convicted him of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, the only alleged victim who has been publicly named. Høiby was acquitted of two other charges of rape.
Among the 40 offences Høiby was charged with were four rapes and assaults, several breaches of restraining orders, drug and driving offences. One of the charges, violation of a restraining order, was overturned.
Høiby, 29, had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and can appeal the verdict.
The trial came at a challenging time for the Norwegian royal family, which is dealing with the severe illness of Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit. She is under scrutiny over her relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, Oslo district court agreed to release Høiby, who has been in custody since shortly before the start of his trial on 3 February, so that he could spend time with his mother as she awaits a lung transplant. However, the request was rejected by the court of appeal.
The trial has drawn significant attention, both domestically and abroad. Before the hearing on Monday journalists queued outside the court before it opened at 7.30am.
