Norway No shackle for Marius Borg Høiby
A court has rejected a request by Marius Borg Høiby (29) to serve the remainder of his pre-trial detention at home with an electronic ankle bracelet.
06.05.2026, 12:59
SDA
"I am in isolation in prison in Oslo and have extremely little human contact - two or three visits a week," Høiby said in court, according to the newspaper "Verdens Gang". In order to be closer to friends and family, the accused wanted to wait in his apartment in the residence of the Crown Prince and Princess for the verdict against him, which is expected in early June.
The rape trial against the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit came to an end in March. Høiby has been in custody since the trial began in early February. He had violated a no-contact order in relation to an ex-girlfriend.
The court had already rejected an earlier application for his release, citing "the seriousness and scope of the case and the high risk of recidivism". The judge responsible also rejected the ankle bracelet on Wednesday due to the "considerable risk of repetition".
According to research by the Norwegian news agency NTB, only twelve out of almost 800 people are currently serving their pre-trial detention with an electronic ankle bracelet. The court has now made none of these rare exceptions for Høiby.
The crown princess's son faces a long prison sentence
In the week-long mammoth trial, Høiby was charged with 40 counts. Of these, 20 alone related to an ex-girlfriend who is subject to a no-contact order. The Norwegian is accused of four rapes, among other things. Mette-Marit's son is said to have filmed the alleged victims during the acts.
At the end of the trial, the prosecutors had demanded seven years and seven months in prison. Høiby's defense lawyers, on the other hand, had pleaded for a prison sentence of one and a half years. However, the lawyers argued that he should be acquitted of the rape charges.
