Norwegian Crown Princess's Son Gets Four-Year Prison Sentence for Assault Convictions

An Oslo district court on Monday sentenced Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess, to four years in prison after convicting him of assault and other serious offenses. The court also imposed a two-year restraining order protecting one of his victims. Høiby’s lawyers said they will appeal.

According to The Guardian, the verdict came nearly three months after his highly publicized trial began and about six weeks after hearings opened. Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad also found Høiby guilty of assaulting his ex-partner, Nora Haukland, the only victim whose name has been made public. The court ordered him to pay compensation to Haukland and three other women, while acquitting him on two other charges.

The case initially involved as many as 40 allegations, including four assault counts, other serious offenses, several breaches of restraining orders, and driving and drug-related charges. One allegation of breaching a restraining order was dropped during the trial. Høiby denied the most serious accusations but admitted some lesser offenses. Because of medical reasons, he attended the sentencing by video link from the prison where he is being held.

Prosecutors had sought a much longer sentence of seven years and seven months, while the defense argued for acquittal on the main counts and a sentence of up to 18 months for the offenses he admitted. The case lands at a sensitive moment for Norway’s royal family, which is also dealing with the serious illness of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is awaiting a lung transplant.