Marius Borg Hoiby convicted of rape in Oslo court

Marius Borg Hoiby, the 29-year-old son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison by an Oslo court. He was found guilty of two counts of rape following a seven-week trial that examined evidence including drug addiction claims, recorded sexual videos, and over 800 electronic messages. While the court concluded that one of the rapes occurred in the basement of the Crown Prince's family residence, Hoiby admitted to lesser charges but maintained his innocence regarding the most serious accusations. The defendant retains the right to appeal the verdict. The proceedings have impacted the public standing of the Norwegian royal family, with experts noting a sharp contrast between the institution's public image and the details revealed in court. This scandal coincided with reports of Princess Mette-Marit's past association with Jeffrey Epstein and a decline in royal popularity noted in a Norstat survey published on February 21.