Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has appealed his rape conviction and four-year prison sentence in Oslo, just as prosecutors filed their own challenge seeking an even longer jail term, setting up a fresh legal battle over the high-profile case.
Høiby was convicted by an Oslo district court on 15 June of two rape counts, assaulting a former girlfriend and several other offences across a 34-count indictment. He was acquitted of two other rape counts and two alleged breaches of a restraining order, but the court still imposed a sentence that drew immediate attention in Norway and beyond. Prosecutors had asked for seven years and seven months, so the gulf between the two sides is already stark.
Marius Borg Høiby Appeal Puts Case Back In Spotlight
His lawyers told Norwegian news agency NTB on Wednesday that the appeal has been lodged, and reports in Norwegian media say it specifically targets the two rape convictions and the abuse-in-a-relationship finding. Prosecutors responded the next day with their own appeal, arguing that the district court applied too low a penalty level for rape and abuse in close relationships.
State Attorney Sturla Henriksbø said in a statement, reported by Aftenposten, that 'the penalty level for rape and abuse in close relationships is under development and the district court has based its decision on a lower penalty level than the prosecution'. He added that prosecutors would like to see 'a renewed assessment of the penalty level if the Court of Appeal takes the case into consideration anyway'.
In effect, the state is not only standing by the verdict, it wants a tougher one.
Marius Borg Høiby And The Royal Palace
Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon. He is not a member of the Norwegian Royal House, though the family has repeatedly had to answer questions about him all the same.
Around the same time, Mette-Marit faced scrutiny after apologising over contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, following the release of US documents showing email exchanges between them.
The appeal lands in the middle of a royal family crisis that has already dented public support, with an NRK poll in February putting monarchy backing at 60 per cent, the lowest figure ever measured. Haakon said before trial that Høiby is 'autonomous' and that, while the family cares about him, he has the same responsibilities and rights as any other citizen.
The Royal Palace has so far kept its distance. After the verdict, it declined to comment beyond saying the matter had been considered by the courts and that it had no comment on the outcome.
Sentence, Custody And What Happens Next
Høiby has been held in detention since February, after what was described as a fourth arrest on the eve of trial over allegations of assault and breach of a restraining order. He had sought release several times, including after the verdict, but the court rejected the request. His defence had pointed to the deteriorating health of his mother, who has pulmonary fibrosis and recently underwent a lung transplant at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet.
Norwegian outlet Se og Hør reported that Høiby was able to visit Mette-Marit at the hospital using a back entrance, though that detail has not been independently confirmed by IBTimes UK. For now, he remains in custody, his appeal is in motion and prosecutors are pressing for more jail time.
An appeal trial is not expected until next year, according to Norwegian media reports, which means this case will hang over the Norwegian royal family for months yet.
