An Oslo district court has sentenced 29-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby, the stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, to four years in prison after finding him guilty of rape, domestic violence and narcotics-related offences.
Hoiby, who entered the royal family’s orbit when his mother Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, was convicted on two counts of rape and for abusing former partner Nora Haukland. The court also found him guilty of drug offences but acquitted him on two additional rape charges, citing insufficient evidence to prove the encounters were non-consensual. One of the convictions related to an incident that occurred in the basement of the Skaugum royal residence.
Although Hoiby denied the rape allegations, he admitted during proceedings to domestic abuse and transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2020. The seven-week trial drew widespread public attention, revealing details about his struggles with substance abuse and personal conduct through digital evidence presented in court.
Hoiby, who has remained in custody since February, attended the verdict remotely due to undisclosed medical reasons. Crown Prince Haakon stressed that his stepson is not part of the Royal House and is subject to the same laws and legal responsibilities as every Norwegian citizen.
