Lawyers for the eldest son of Norway's crown princess called on Thursday for his acquittal on charges of rape and a sentence of no more than 18 months for other offenses, as six weeks of high-profile court proceedings that have cast a shadow over the royal family drew to a close.
Prosecutors this week sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months for Marius Borg Høiby, who . Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad said as he closed the hearings that a verdict is expected around the beginning of June.
Høiby, 29, is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit by a previous relationship and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to Norway’s throne. He is charged with 40 offenses in total, including four counts of rape between 2018 and 2024 involving women who prosecutors say were unable to give consent because they were asleep or otherwise incapacitated.
Defense lawyers for Høiby, who has no royal titles or official duties, said that there was no evidence to support the rape charges. He has, however, admitted to lesser offenses in the case.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 for the national sexual assault hotline in the U.S. or +47 800 57 000 for the helpline for victims of sexual abuse in Norway.
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An intense spotlight
Høiby’s trial at Oslo District Court has drawn intense attention at home and abroad, putting the royal family in an unwanted spotlight and exposing a rarely seen side of the country’s elite social scene.
Mette-Marit separately has in recent weeks over her connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That has raised questions over her judgment, though she is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Around 70 witnesses have testified at the trial and hundreds of text messages and pieces of digital evidence were presented. Prosecutors pointed to photos and videos recovered from Høiby’s phone.
During his trial, Høiby has denied engaging sexually with sleeping women and said the encounters were consensual. He has admitted to a number of lesser offenses, including drug possession, transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2020, traffic violations and breaches of a restraining order involving a former partner. He has also partially admitted to acts related to violence and threats but disputes key aspects of those allegations, including intent.
Defense attorney Ellen Holager Andenæs said Thursday that a maximum sentence of 18 months would be appropriate for the charges he has admitted to.
The defense argued that Høiby has lived under extraordinary media pressure due to his royal connections, which they said has shaped public perception of the case.
During his trial, Høiby said the scrutiny had “erased him as a person,†adding that he had been shunned by much of his social circle and struggled with depression.
“My whole life is common property,†he said. “I am no longer Marius, I’m a monster.â€
Defense lawyer Petar Sekulic said that media coverage “bordered on the insane, but almost exceeded anything one could have feared beforehand.â€
The investigation of Høiby began in 2024. Police were first called to an apartment in Oslo’s upscale Frogner neighborhood following reports of a violent incident. Høiby was arrested and later released, but the case expanded as more women came forward with allegations.
Rape charges are central to the case
At the heart of the trial are the four charges of rape, each of which are alleged to have occurred after consensual sex. They center on whether the women were capable of resisting and whether Høiby understood their condition.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø told the court on Wednesday that Høiby should be judged “not for who he is, but for what he has done,†outlining what he described as patterns of behavior across the charges. He pointed to repeated violations of rules and boundaries, including interactions with police, breaches of restraining orders and what he characterized as a disregard for whether women consented to sexual activity or being filmed.
“The rules are designed so that one cannot evade guilt by getting high or drunk,†Henriksbø said, arguing that the court should assess the case based on how a sober person would have understood the situation.
“Rape and abuse in close relationships are among the most serious acts one can expose others to, and that must be reflected in the punishment,†Henriksbø told the court.
Summing up the defense case, Sekulic said that no evidence supported the rape charges and that none of the pictures or videos seen during the trial proved a crime. He questioned the credibility of the alleged victims.
Sekulic acknowledged that aspects of Høiby's behavior had been “unsympathetic,†but said that should not weigh on the court's judgment.
“What can be described as bad behavior, bad morals, which cannot be punished under the criminal law, should be disregarded,†he told the court. “It is irrelevant.â€
