The stepson of Norway's Crown Prince Haakon has been found guilty of two counts of rape as well as domestic violence and other crimes and is sentenced to four years in prison, an Oslo court ruled on Monday.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was acquitted on two other counts of rape.
He had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations against him, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and can appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors had asked that Høiby should be sentenced to seven years and seven months of prison.
The seven-week trial gripped the Nordic country, detailing Hoiby's drug addiction, self-made videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 electronic messages entered into evidence. One alleged rape took place in the basement of the crown prince's family home, the court heard.
Interest in the case was boosted by the contrast between the picture-perfect royal family and Høiby's alleged actions as heard in court, said Ketil Raknes, an associate professor in political communication at the Kristiania University of Applied Sciences.
The case, alongside other crises, has contributed to a decline in the popularity of the royal family.
It coincided with Crown Princess Mette-Marit's apology for "poor judgment" in maintaining contact with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after he was convicted in 2008.
A Norstat survey out on 21 February- during the trial showed a fall in the number of Norwegians favouring keeping the monarchy to a record low of 60%, from 70% in January, and a rise to 27% from 19% in those wanting a different system of governance.
In May, the royal family recovered somewhat in popularity, with 64% polled by Norstat supporting the monarchy and 23% wanting a different system of governance.
"It was ... a perfect crisis for the royal family because they had two crises at the same time. And they had a lot of (criticism) for the way they handled the Epstein files," Raknes said.
The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Høiby's mother, who this month was placed on the national lung transplant list as her health has severely deteriorated.
She suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that makes it increasingly difficult to breathe. Without a transplant, she has around a year left to live, her doctors have said.
That is somewhat changing people's perceptions ahead of the verdict, Raknes said.
"The coverage is much more sober," he said. "People are seeing: 'OK, this is a family who's really struggling and this is not the time for ... playing ... the moral card as high as we maybe have done earlier in this case'."
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the st...
Iran says it has delivered on its promise of a “faster, heavier and more painful” response to Washington, striking U.S. bases, warships...
Climate leaders in Baku are calling for a shift from climate commitments to concrete action as day three of Baku Climate Action Week focuses on imp...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, warning that escalating drone warfare and attacks on civilian infrastructure are deepening the country's already devastating humanitarian crisis.
Climate leaders in Baku are calling for a shift from climate commitments to concrete action as day three of Baku Climate Action Week focuses on implementation, cooperation and measurable results.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has dissolved parliament and called a snap election for 25 October, as he seeks to extend his political influence by running for prime minister.
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment