Marius Borg Hojby: Stepson of Norway’s crown prince sentenced to four years in prison for rape, domestic violence

Marius Borg Hojby, the stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, was found guilty of rape and domestic violence on Monday and sentenced to four years in prison after a seven-week trial, further damaging the Norwegian royal family’s public image.The Oslo District Court ruled that the 29-year-old man was guilty of two counts of rape and acquitted him of two other counts of rape. He was also found guilty of domestic violence, ending a seven-week trial.According to the Associated Press, Hoiby is accused of sexually assaulting four women “who were asleep or unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.”He allegedly faces a total of 40 charges, including four counts of rape.Hoiby denied the most serious charges against him but admitted several lesser offences, including assault, drug-related offenses and breaching a restraining order; he remains eligible to appeal the sentence. However, prosecutors sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months.Reuters reported that Hoiby “was found guilty of two counts of rape, including one in the basement of the crown prince’s home,” while acquitted of two other counts.“The court finds that she proved unable to resist the action,” Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad said in handing down the sentence, Reuters reported, referring to a rape incident at the royal residence.Court proceedings also revealed detailed evidence given during the trial. According to reports, the case involved “self-made videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 electronic messages as evidence.”The stepson watched the verdict via video link from jail but was unable to see or hear it in court.Hoiby’s legal team had earlier insisted the allegations were unsubstantiated. The Associated Press reported that defense attorneys said there was “no evidence to support the rape allegation.”One of the complainants was in court when the verdict was read out. “Hoibi cried after the judge pronounced her guilty of raping her and wiped her eyes with a tissue given to her by her lawyer,” the news agency reported.The case attracted wider attention in Norway because of Hojby’s close ties to the royal family. He is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship. After Crown Princess Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, he became a member of the royal family.Hoiby has no royal title or official duties, but the case has nonetheless affected public perceptions of the monarchy.The verdict comes at a sensitive time for the royal family, with Crown Princess Mette-Marit also facing serious health problems, including a lung disease that requires a transplant.Meanwhile, the Crown Princess also apologized for a “lapse in judgment” over her contact with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction.The case has now entered the post-judgment stage, with Hoiby expected to have the option of appealing.