Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon’s stepson, Marius Borg Høby, was found guilty of rape and domestic violence on Monday and sentenced to four years in prison, after a seven-week trial that further damaged the public image of the Norwegian royal family.The Oslo District Court issued the ruling, convicting the 29-year-old of two counts of rape while acquitting him of two other counts of rape. He was also found guilty of domestic violence, ending a seven-week trial.According to the AP, Hoebe was accused of sexually assaulting four women who were “asleep or unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.”He is said to have faced a total of 40 charges, including four counts of rape.Hoibe denied the most serious charges against him but admitted several less serious offences, including assault, drug-related offenses and breaches of restraining orders; He remains eligible to appeal the ruling. But the prosecution requested a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison.Reuters reported that Huibi was “convicted of two counts of rape, one of them in the basement of the Crown Prince’s home,” while he was acquitted of two other counts of rape.
Judge John Sverdrup Evgestad, who issued the ruling, said: “The court concluded that it was proven that she was unable to resist the procedure,” referring to one of the rape incidents that occurred at the royal residence, according to Reuters.The court proceedings also revealed detailed evidence presented during the trial. The case reportedly included “homemade videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 emails that were entered into evidence.”The stepson watched the ruling via video link from prison, but was unable to see or hear him in the courtroom.Huibi’s legal team had previously confirmed that these allegations were baseless. The Associated Press reported that defense attorneys said “there is no evidence to support the rape charges.”One of the complainants was present in court during the reading of the verdict. The news agency reported that she “cried after the judge said Huibi was guilty of raping her and wiped her eyes with a tissue her lawyer gave her.”The case received wider attention in Norway because of Høby’s closeness to the royal family. He is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and became part of the royal family when she married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.Hueibi holds no royal titles or official duties, but the case has nevertheless affected public perceptions of the monarchy.The ruling comes at a sensitive time for the royal family, as Crown Princess Mette-Marit is also dealing with serious health issues, including a lung condition that requires a transplant.It also coincided with the Crown Princess apologizing for her “poor judgment” over maintaining contact with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction in 2008.The case now moves to the post-sentence phase, where Hoibe is expected to have the option of appealing the conviction.
Do you think Marius Borg-Huebe should appeal the ruling?
