The Marius Borg Høiby trial ended in Oslo on Thursday, with the court saying a verdict is expected in early June after weeks of testimony in one of Norway’s most closely watched criminal cases. The trial has focused on allegations including rape, abuse in an intimate relationship, restraining-order violations and drug-related offences. Høiby denies the rape allegations and the most serious charges.
A verdict date now follows weeks of testimony in Oslo
The final court session ended at 16:51, according to Norwegian media, and the judge said the ruling is expected at the beginning of June. That means the case now enters a waiting period after a trial that has drawn unusually intense public attention because Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, though he has no formal royal role.
The proceedings have become a major story in Norway not only because of the severity of the charges, but also because of the pressure they have placed on the royal family and on the broader debate about accountability for high-profile defendants.
The gap between prosecutors and the defence is wide
The closing arguments underlined how far apart the two sides remain on both guilt and sentencing. Prosecutors have asked for seven years and seven months in prison, arguing that the sentence must reflect the seriousness of the allegations, including four rape charges and abuse in a close relationship.
Høiby’s defence lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs, argued that if he is convicted only for the offences he has admitted, the sentence should be one year and six months. Those admitted or partly admitted offences include incidents linked to his former girlfriend known in reporting as the Frogner woman, traffic offences and breaches of narcotics law.
At the same time, the defence said that if Høiby were convicted on all counts, including the four rape allegations and the abuse charge that he denies, the total sentence should be closer to five to six years, not the term requested by the prosecution.
What Høiby admits and what he still denies
Throughout the trial, Høiby has denied criminal liability for the four alleged rapes and for the charge of abuse in an intimate relationship. His defence has maintained that the evidence does not support conviction on the most serious accusations.
He has, however, admitted guilt in full or in part for several lesser offences, including parts of the case involving the Frogner woman, traffic violations and elements of the drug case. That distinction has been central to the defence strategy, which is now asking the court to separate sharply between the admitted offences and the allegations still in dispute.
Why the early June verdict matters for Norway
The expected early June verdict will be closely watched well beyond the courtroom. The case has already become one of the most significant legal and reputational crises surrounding Norway’s royal environment in recent years.
When the judgment arrives, it is likely to shape not only Høiby’s future but also the public discussion in Norway about media scrutiny, privilege, and how the justice system handles defendants connected to powerful institutions. For now, the main development is procedural but important: the hearings are over, and the court has set the next key moment for the start of June.
