Marius Borg Høiby is facing difficult days. His sentencing is scheduled for June 15, when he will learn if he faces up to seven years and seven months in prison. At the same time, he is confronting the declining health of his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who has been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant due to her evolving pulmonary fibrosis. According to the Norwegian outlet Se og Hør, Borg recently experienced a medical crisis and was transported from Oslo prison to a hospital, where he spent the night under medical supervision.
© HAKON MOSVOLD LARSENThe incident took place on Wednesday. Shortly before a planned transfer to Ila Prison in Bærum, where Borg was expected to move to as Oslo Prison prepares to close, police brought him to a hospital, where he reportedly spent the night. The reason behind his admission has not been disclosed. He walked into the building escorted by police officers.
A family gathering before the verdict
This past Monday, Borg was granted leave from prison to attend a meeting with his family and medical staff at Skaugum estate. There, the royal family was briefed on the risks of his mother's impending lung transplant.
© ANE HEMMette-Marit's condition has weighed heavily on Borg, with him speaking about her illness in court. "Being together as a family in a time like this is incredibly important — not just for my mother, but for all of us," he said, as reported by Se og Hør. "It's unbearable to be in Oslo Prison knowing she's this ill. The last two visits, she's been sleeping on the couch because she's not strong enough."
He also addressed the emotional toll of living through his mother's health crisis while imprisoned. "It's difficult to think that every Sunday we see each other, it could be the last time," he said.
The family rallies around Mette-Marit
A lung transplant is a serious and high-risk medical intervention, sparking reactions from all members of the royal family. Crown Prince Haakon cut short a state visit to Japan, while Princess Ingrid Alexandra returned to Norway from Australia, where she had been studying at the University of Sydney. Prince Sverre Magnus has also shifted his schedule to remain close to his mother.
© Getty ImagesSince being held in pretrial detention, Borg has received multiple authorized leave periods from prison, all connected to his family's situation. He has been accompanied by the police on each occasion. His legal team had successfully argued before the Oslo District Court that his release was warranted, but the Court of Appeal overturned the decision, ruling that there remained a probability that Borg would reoffend if he were to be freed.
His request to serve out his remand from home was also denied.
Borg's verdict
Borg faces 40 charges in total, including four counts of rape involving women who prosecutors say were unable to give consent because they were asleep or otherwise incapacitated.
On Sunday, June 15, at 8:30 a.m., the judges will deliver Borg's sentence, bringing to a close more than a year of police investigation and six weeks of court proceedings.
© Per Ole Hagen
