Marius Borg Høiby, 29, has been sentenced to four years in prison. Mette-Marit's eldest son, whom she had before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, was sentenced this morning at Oslo District Court.
© Ian GavanBorg was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. He was also found guilty of domestic violence and harm against former partners, and had previously admitted to breaking a restraining order and drug-related offenses.
He had originally been charged with four counts of rape, two of which the court dismissed. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victims. Both Borg and the Prosecutor's Office can appeal the verdict within the next two weeks.
The Prosecutor's Office had sought over seven years in prison
Marius Borg's trial was one of the most closely watched legal cases in Norwegian history. The trial lasted six weeks and concluded in March, with the Prosecutor's Office seeking a sentence of seven years and seven months. Borg's defense lawyers argued that he should be acquitted of the rape allegations and receive no more than 18 months in prison for the offenses he admitted to.
Throughout the trial, Borg maintained that he was not guilty of the rape charges brought against him.
© GTRESProsecutor Sturla Henriksbo called the verdict "a victory for our justice system," as reported by CBS News. She told AFP that the verdict showed "that no one is beyond the law, despite who you are and who you are related to."
Borg was not present in court due to health reasons and watched the sentencing via video link from prison. Last week, he experienced a medical crisis, resulting in him being transported from prison to a hospital, where he spent the night under medical supervision. The reason behind his admittance has not been revealed.
© Julian ParkerBorg had been held in pretrial detention and one of his lawyers, Petar Sekulic, had requested that Borg be allowed to serve the remainder of his pretrial detention from the royal family's Skaugum Estate. Over the past months, Borg had submitted various requests that were denied, arguing that his mother's health was one of the reasons why he wanted to complete his pretrial detention from home.
"Being together as a family in a time like this is incredibly important — not just for my mother, but for all of us," said Borg during his trial, 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."
Mette-Marit has pulmonary fibrosis. Her conditioned has worsened in past months, with her being added onto a waitlist for a lung transplant.
The royal house's reaction to the sentencing
Throughout Borg's trial, the royal house maintained its silence, with members of the media expecting a statement following the verdict.
"The case has been handled by the court, and the Royal House has no comment on the verdict," read the Royal House's written statement.
© LISE ASERUD
