Prosecutor seeks over seven years in prison for Crown Princess’ son | Royal | News
The son of Norway’s Crown Princess should be sentenced to seven years and seven months in prison, the prosecutor in the trial told an Oslo court on Wednesday. Marius Borg Høiby is in court facing a total of 40 charges, including those of raping four women as well as domestic abuse and other crimes.
Høiby has pleaded not guilty to the four charges of rape. However, he pleaded guilty to several driving offences, to an aggravated drugs offence and breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault.
The seven-week trial, which is due to end on Thursday, has been one of the biggest cases the country has ever experienced as it has detailed the stepson of the future King’s drug addiction, self-made videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 electronic messages entered into evidence.
Speaking in court on Wednesday, lead prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe set out the sentence he was seeking for the 40 charges against Høiby, which investigators said happened when the alleged victims were sleeping or unconscious.
Mr Henriksboe told the court that Høiby must be treated like any other citizen, facing neither a tougher nor softer punishment due to his links to the Norwegian Royal Family.
In tearful testimony last week, Høiby said heavy media coverage of his trial had made him “an object of hatred” and portrayed him as a monster, leading to anxiety and clinical depression.
“Høiby is no monster. None of us are,” Mr Henriksboe said at the beginning of his closing argument on Monday. “He must not be sentenced for who he is, but for what he did.”
Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the stepson of her husband and future King, Crown Prince Haakon.
The Crown Princess is also facing several challenges with her health, as she has a chronic disease, pulmonary fibrosis and is expected to soon undergo a lung transplant.
The court has ordered the media not to give any information that might identify any of the four women. There is also a ban on any photos of Marius Borg Høiby, either inside the court building or on his way to and from the trial.
