An Oslo court convicted Marius Borg Hoiby on two counts of rape, one occurring in the basement of the crown prince’s residence. However, he was acquitted of two additional rape charges.
Hoiby, 29, denied the most serious accusations, including the rape charges, but admitted to some lesser allegations. He retains the right to appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors had initially sought a sentence of seven years and seven months.
The trial brought to light Hoiby’s struggles with drug addiction, as well as self-recorded videos of sexual encounters and over 800 electronic messages that were submitted as evidence.
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad of the Oslo District Court stated, “The court finds it is proven she was not able to resist the action,” referring to the incident in the crown prince’s home as he read the verdict.
Hoiby observed the proceedings through a video link from prison, remaining unseen and unheard in the courtroom.
VICTIM TEARFUL IN COURT
One of the women who accused Hoiby of rape was present in court to hear the verdict. She wept as the judge declared Hoiby’s guilt in her case, using a tissue provided by her lawyer to dab her eyes.
Hoiby’s actions have further eroded the royal family’s public image, which was once very positive.
Coinciding with the trial, Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued an apology for her “poor judgement” in maintaining contact with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction.
A Norstat survey conducted on February 21, during the trial, showed a decline in support for the monarchy, with only 60% of Norwegians favoring its continuation, down from 70% in January. Meanwhile, those advocating for a different system of governance rose to 27% from 19%.
By May, the royal family’s popularity had somewhat recovered, with 64% of Norwegians surveyed by Norstat supporting the monarchy, while 23% favored an alternative system of governance.
The verdict was issued amidst challenging personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who requires a lung transplant due to pulmonary fibrosis.
