15/06/2026 13:41 - Internacionales
Tribunal de justicia moderno con bandera noruega ondeando, edificio gubernamental nórdico con arquitectura contemporánea, ambiente serio y formal representando el sistema judicial
The Oslo District Court delivered its verdict this Monday against Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, sentencing him to four years in prison after finding him guilty of two counts of rape and assault against his former girlfriend.
The decision was made by three judges in courtroom 250, who acquitted the young man of two other rape charges due to insufficient evidence. The 128-page verdict was read at a hearing Høiby did not attend in person due to unspecified health reasons, though he participated via video conference from the detention center where he has been held since before the February trial.
| Party | Request |
|---|---|
| Prosecution | 7 years and 7 months |
| Defense | 18 months |
| Final sentence | 4 years |
The defense may appeal the verdict.
The judges determined that Høiby raped two women who were asleep or incapacitated at the time of the incidents. One assault occurred at the Crown Prince's estate in Skaugum, approximately 21 kilometers southwest of Oslo, in 2018. The other took place in the Norwegian capital in March 2024.
Evidence presented included videos recorded by the accused himself showing the victims being penetrated while sleeping or unable to consent due to drug consumption. The court agreed that the victims could not resist what occurred.
He was acquitted of two other rape charges: one involving a woman he met at an Oslo hotel in November 2024 and another with a woman he encountered during a vacation in the Lofoten Islands in 2023.
The court ordered Høiby to pay a total of 68,300 USD in compensation to four of the women involved:
200,000 Norwegian kroner
To first proven rape victim
170,000 Norwegian kroner
To second proven rape victim
100,000 kroner (9,200 euros)
To Nora Haukland
Additionally, a two-year restraining order was imposed regarding one victim whose identity remains protected, and he must pay her 110,000 kroner (10,000 euros).
Although he is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Høiby is not a member of the Norwegian royal family and holds no royal title or official duties. However, he grew up within the royal household since his mother married Crown Prince Haakon when he was four years old.
This familial connection has generated an institutional crisis for the Norwegian monarchy. According to Caroline Vagle, royal correspondent for Se og Hør magazine, "there is no doubt that this case has affected people's perception of the royal family."
The sentence comes at a critical moment: Mette-Marit suffers from a severe form of pulmonary fibrosis and was recently placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant.
Høiby's lawyers repeatedly requested his release so he could spend time with his mother, whose health is deteriorating. The court denied these requests.
On the eve of the trial, it was revealed that the Crown Princess maintained a three-year friendship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which worsened the crown's image crisis.
The sentence also incorporates crimes Høiby admitted during proceedings: drug possession, driving without a license and at excessive speeds, repeated violation of restraining orders, reckless conduct, and sexually offensive behavior. All these facts contributed to increasing the prison sentence imposed.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
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