Rape trial of Norway crown princess's son closes with prosecutors seeking over 7 years in prison
ABC News
Lawyers for the Norwegian crown princess’s eldest son have called for his acquittal on charges of rape as six weeks of high-profile court proceedings that have cast a shadow over the royal family drew to a close
Lawyers for the eldest son of Norway's crown princess called on Thursday for his acquittal on charges of rape, as six weeks of high-profile court proceedings that have cast a shadow over the royal family drew to a close.
Prosecutors this week sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months for Marius Borg Høiby, who denies the rape allegations. A verdict is expected at a later date.
Høiby, 29, is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit by a previous marriage and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to Norway’s throne. He is charged with 40 offenses in total, including four counts of rape between 2018 and 2024 involving women who prosecutors say were unable to give consent because they were asleep or otherwise incapacitated.
Defense lawyers for Høiby, who has no royal titles or official duties, said that there was no evidence of rape in any of the cases.
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