Marius Borg Høiby sentenced to four years for rape in Norway

A Oslo district court sentenced Marius Borg Høiby, the 29‑year‑old son of Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, to four years in prison after finding him guilty of two counts of rape and related offenses of violence, threats and drug possession. The verdict also ordered compensation of 640,000 Norwegian crowns to the victims. Høiby, who was not present in the courtroom but watched the ruling via video link, had previously faced 38 charges, of which the court upheld the most serious.

The case has drawn intense media attention and raised questions about the Norwegian monarchy’s public image. Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, who suffers from severe pulmonary disease and is awaiting a lung transplant, has been highlighted in the coverage as the mother of the convicted. The royal family has remained largely silent, while the sentencing marks one of the most serious scandals to hit the Norwegian Crown in recent years.