The stepson of Norway's king, Marius Borg Høiby, who was sentenced to four years in prison for raping two women, domestic violence and other crimes, will remain under house arrest. An appeals court overturned the decision to release him while he appeals his sentence, Reuters reports. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
On November 2, the Oslo court allowed the release of the 29-year-old Høiby on condition of regular police reporting and checks for alcohol and drugs. However, prosecutors appealed the decision, citing the risk of new crimes.
On November 4, the appeals court extended the house arrest with an electronic bracelet until November 30. The court considered the proposed control measures insufficient: Høiby consumed alcohol even under strict restrictions in place, Dagsavisen writes, citing the NTB agency.
"We had hoped for a different outcome, but we take note of the appeals court's decision," said lawyers Alexander Grøker and Daniel Storrvik.
Høiby's sentence was handed down in June. He is challenging the conviction for rape and violence against his former cohabitant Nora Haukland. The sentence has not yet entered into legal force, and the appeal hearing will begin in February 2027.
Høiby is the son of Queen Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of King Haakon. Since July, he has been under house arrest at the royal estate of Skaugum near Oslo.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote about several detentions of Høiby in 2024. In August, he was arrested after an attack on a girl in Oslo, in September for violating a court injunction, and in November on suspicion of rape.
In June 2025, after a ten-month investigation, police announced charges on several counts of rape, sexual violence and bodily harm. At the time, the defense stated that Høiby denies guilt on most counts.