Norwegian Royal Family Reels as Crown Princess's Son Gets Four-Year Sentence for Rape

Marius Borg Hoiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was convicted on Monday of rape and domestic violence and sentenced by the Oslo District Court to four years in prison. The verdict followed a widely covered seven-week trial that has badly damaged the image of the Norwegian royal family. Hoiby watched the sentencing by video from prison.

The court found him guilty on two rape counts, including one that took place in the basement of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s home. He was acquitted of two other rape allegations. Prosecutors had asked for seven years and seven months in prison. Hoiby denied most of the serious charges and admitted only to lesser offenses.

During the trial, prosecutors presented disturbing evidence, including self-recorded videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 electronic messages. Those materials also exposed his struggle with drug addiction. Judge John Sverdrup Efstad said in his ruling that the rape in the royal family home was proven and that the victim was unable to resist. One of the women who testified against him was present in court as the sentence was read and broke down in tears.

The scandal has hurt the monarchy’s popularity in Norway. Polls taken during the trial showed a drop in support for the institution, although there was a slight recovery in May. The case comes as Mette-Marit faces serious health problems and needs a lung transplant, and after earlier public criticism over her past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hoiby is expected to appeal and remains a controversial figure at the center of a case that has shaken the royal family’s carefully maintained image.