The son of Norway’s Crown Princess, Marius Høiby, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of multiple offences, including two counts of rape.
The Oslo District Court also imposed a two-year restraining order against him to protect one of the victims and ordered him to pay compensation to four women.
The judgment was delivered on Monday, nearly three months after the conclusion of Høiby’s closely watched six-week trial in Oslo.
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad found the 29-year-old guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, the only victim whose identity has been made public.
Høiby faced a total of 40 charges, including four counts of rape, assault, repeated breaches of restraining orders, as well as drug-related and driving offences. One charge of violating a restraining order was later dismissed.
He pleaded not guilty to the most serious allegations, including rape, but admitted to some of the lesser offences. His legal team has the option of appealing the verdict.
Høiby attended Monday’s proceedings via video link from Ila Prison, with his defence lawyers citing health reasons for his absence from the courtroom.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months, arguing that the evidence supported the more severe punishment. Defence lawyers, however, maintained that he should be acquitted of the rape charges and receive no more than 18 months for the offences he had admitted.
The rape convictions stemmed from allegations involving four women between 2018 and 2024. Prosecutors told the court that the victims were either asleep or heavily incapacitated during the incidents.
The case has unfolded during a challenging period for the Norwegian royal family. Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is battling a serious illness and is reportedly awaiting a lung transplant.
Last week, the Oslo District Court approved Høiby’s temporary release from custody to allow him spend time with his mother. However, the decision was later overturned by the Court of Appeal, leaving him in detention pending the outcome of the case.