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A Norwegian court said Monday it will deliver its verdict next month in the rape trial of Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The Oslo District Court said the decision will be announced June 15, following six weeks of proceedings that prosecutors said cast a shadow over the royal family.
The court said the verdict will be delivered June 15 in the case against Høiby. Prosecutors, who sought a prison term of seven years and seven months, closed their case after the hearing phase ended March 19.
Høiby, 29, is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit by a previous relationship and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, Norway’s heir to the throne. He is charged with 40 offenses in total, including four counts of rape between 2018 and 2024.
Throughout the trial, Høiby denied the rape allegations. His defense argued that there was no evidence to support the rape charges, and it also presented the case as one shaped by public pressure linked to his royal connections.
Defense lawyers said Høiby has admitted to lesser offenses even as he disputes key parts of allegations involving violence and threats, including intent. The defense said those admissions include drug possession and transporting 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of marijuana in 2020, along with traffic violations and breaches of a restraining order involving a former partner.
As to sentencing for the charges he admitted, the defense said a maximum sentence of 18 months would be appropriate. The lawyers also pointed to what they described as “extraordinary media pressure” due to his royal connections and said that has influenced how the public has perceived the case.
While the trial played out in court, attention also remained on Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which drew scrutiny earlier this year. The AP report said those questions have raised concerns about her judgment, though it noted that she is not accused of wrongdoing.
Høiby’s verdict date was set as the case heads to its next stage, with the June 15 announcement expected to resolve the trial’s central charges in the Oslo District Court.