Marius Borg Høiby (29) could be shooting himself in the foot with his appeal against his prison sentence. The Oslo prosecution has decided to demand a higher sentence in possible appeal proceedings against the son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit (52). This was reported by the Norwegian daily newspaper "Aftenposten", among others, citing the news agency NTB.
The trigger is Høiby's own application: Just this week, he officially filed an appeal against his conviction to four years in prison. The prosecution now wants to use this very opportunity to have the first instance verdict reviewed again - but with the opposite goal.
Sentencing level "in development"
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø, who represented the case in Oslo, justified the move with the development of case law. "The sentencing level for assault and abuse in close relationships is in development, and the district court applied a lower sentencing level than the prosecution. We would like a reassessment of the sentence if the appeals court is hearing the case anyway", he explained according to media reports.
The prosecution, however, is not filing an independent appeal. Henriksbø also deliberately does not want to challenge Høiby's acquittal in two cases - in consultation with the legal representatives of the affected women. "This was a stressful matter for those involved. There are many victims in this case, all of whom came forward with their testimonies, and we have great understanding for how demanding that was", said the prosecutor.
Seven weeks of trial, 34 convictions
The trial against Høiby stretched over seven weeks at the Oslo District Court in February and March. The 29-year-old was charged on a total of 40 counts, including four alleged assaults. In the end, the court found him guilty in 34 of the 40 cases. The prosecution had demanded seven years and seven months in prison, while the defense pleaded for one and a half to two years for those acts that Høiby had admitted.
On June 15, the verdict was handed down: four years in prison. Høiby was convicted in two of the assault cases and acquitted in two others. He was also convicted of abuse in a close relationship with his ex-girlfriend. Høiby himself had always denied guilt in the assaults and abuse. Due to his application for appeal, the verdict is not yet final.
Even longer in pretrial detention
Høiby's lawyer Petar Sekulic considers the imposed sentence too much. "Our view is that the sentence for the acts he has admitted should be one and a half to two years in prison", the defense attorney emphasized according to "Nettavisen".
However, the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon (52) had recently accepted an extension of his pretrial detention, which he has been serving since February 2. He has already applied for his release three times, including with the wish to spend time with his mother, who had recently undergone a lung transplant.
For now, Marius Borg Høiby will remain in prison at least until July 13. If the pretrial detention officially expires, it is up to the prosecution to apply for an extension. If the proceedings are prolonged due to the appeal, milder measures such as an electronic ankle monitor until the next hearing could also be considered.
