Norway Court to Deliver Verdict in Rape Trial of 29-Year-Old Man

Marius Borg Høiby will appear via video link at Oslo District Court early on Monday to hear the verdict on 40 charges that include four counts of rape. Høiby, 29, has been in custody since the start of February. Police detained him shortly before the trial began on suspicion of assault and violating a restraining order involving an ex-girlfriend.

An appeal court turned down a bid for Høiby to be released to be with his mother. Høiby denies the most serious offences but admits some lesser charges involving drugs and traffic offences. Prosecutors recommend a sentence of seven years and seven months in jail.

His defence lawyers recommend a sentence of one year and six months. The trial ended almost three months before the verdict. Prosecutors allege the four rapes took place when the women were either asleep or incapacitated following consensual sex with Høiby.

Prosecutors are seeking three years in jail for one rape charge and two years each for the other three rape charges. The four women Høiby is alleged to have raped were able to maintain their anonymity and photos of them and the defendant were banned by the court. The court decided that anonymity did not extend to former girlfriend Nora Haukland.

Høiby was moved to Ila prison and detention centre outside Oslo a few days before the verdict. Crown Princess Mette-Marit was placed on a lung transplant list a little over a week before the verdict. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been seen visiting her son in prison with Crown Prince Haakon.

Crown Prince Haakon has curtailed public engagements to look after Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Crown Prince Haakon did not travel to Stockholm on Saturday to attend the king and queen of Sweden's golden wedding anniversary. Crown Prince Haakon did not attend the regular cabinet meeting with King Harald on Friday.