Marius Borg Høiby Files Appeal Against Verdict – Appeal Hearing Possibly Not Until Next Year

Pre-Trial Detention and Restraining Order

Høiby has been in pre-trial detention since early February. He had been taken into custody after violating a restraining order against an ex-girlfriend. The courts repeatedly justified maintaining pre-trial detention on the grounds that Høiby might seek out his ex-girlfriend again and saw a risk of further violent offences against her.

Citing the serious lung disease of his mother Mette-Marit, he had attempted several times in recent months to be released from pre-trial detention – without success. He had made the last attempt immediately after the verdict. The court said no.

Mother's Serious Illness

Høiby's mother, Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, suffers from the incurable lung disease pulmonary fibrosis. She recently underwent a lung transplant. An application by Høiby to have pre-trial detention interrupted in order to visit his seriously ill mother was rejected by the court.

According to the newspaper Aftenposten, Høiby does not wish to appeal against the decision to refuse release from detention. His lawyer told Aftenposten that his client accepts this decision.

According to Norwegian media reports, the appeal hearing may not take place until next year. This would further prolong the legal processing of the case, while Høiby remains in pre-trial detention in the meantime. The case has attracted great attention in Norway and internationally, also because of the connection to the royal family.

Outlook on the Appeal Proceedings

The Norwegian public prosecution had presented numerous witness statements and evidence in the proceedings. Høiby had addressed the allegations but had not shown comprehensive cooperation in the investigation. The defence announced that in the appeal proceedings it would challenge the assessment of evidence and seek a reduction of the sentence.

Observers expect that the appeal proceedings will attract considerable public attention. The Norwegian judiciary has emphasised in the past that criminal proceedings against members or relatives of the royal family are conducted according to the same rules as other proceedings. The coming months will show whether Høiby's appeal can influence the guilty verdict or at least the severity of the sentence.