The son of Norway’s crown princess has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape, an Oslo court ruled on Monday.
Marius Borg Hoiby pleaded not guilty and can appeal the verdict.
The 29-year-old is Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon.
What do we know about Hoiby’s trial?
Hoiby was accused of 40 charges, carrying a maximum possible sentence of 16 years in jail.
The rape charges include four different women between 2018 and 2024, with the women allegedly having been sleeping or largely unable.
The prosecution demanded a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison, while defense lawyers claimed Hoiby should be acquitted of the rape allegation and receive a maximum of 18 months for the offenses he had admitted to.
The prosecution described Hoiby as a man “who thinks he can do whatever he wants,” while the 29-year-old himself insisted he was “not in the habit of having sex with women who are asleep.” He criticized local media for portraying him as a “monster.”
He was also convicted of domestic abuse against an ex-girlfriend, issuing threats and traffic violations, while being acquitted of two other counts of rape.
The seven-week trial made headlines in Norway and included details of Hoiby’s drug addiction, self-made videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 messages as part of the evidence.
One alleged rape took place in the Crown Prince’s basement, the court heard.
What does the verdict mean for Norway’s royal family?
Having previously enjoyed large popularity among the public, the trial has further hurt the royal family’s reputation in Norway.
It came on the heels of Crown Princess ‘s recent apology for her friendship with late sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
A survey from February 21 found that the number of Norwegians that are in favor of keeping the monarchy hit around 60%, a record low, though support rose 4% by May.
The crown princess is facing a difficult time in terms of her health; she is on the waiting list for a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis. (DW)
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