Norway's Crown Prince Haakon's Stepson Must Stay Under House Arrest
A Norwegian appeals court ruled on November 4 that Marius Borg Høiby must remain under house arrest. The decision reverses a lower court's ruling that would have let him out while he waits for his appeal. Prosecutors had challenged that earlier decision.
Høiby is the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to Norway's throne. On November 2, the Oslo District Court ruled that he could be released from custody while the appeal in his rape case moves forward. Reuters reported that ruling. Prosecutors then appealed it, and the higher court sided with them.
Høiby has been under house arrest since July. That arrangement extends the pre-trial detention he was held in after his arrest in February 2026. He is living at Skaugum, the royal residence outside Oslo, where the house arrest is carried out. Those charges included assault, threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order.
In June, the Oslo District Court found him guilty and sentenced him to four years in prison. The court convicted him of two counts of rape and of assaulting a former girlfriend, along with other offenses. NRK reported that the conviction included abuse in a close relationship against Nora Haukland.
His legal team has appealed the rape and assault convictions. The appeal trial is set to begin on February 9, 2027. Until then, the question of where he stays and under what conditions remains open.
The latest hearing centered on a separate issue. Prosecutors allege that Høiby broke the terms of his house arrest by drinking alcohol. They point to a breathalyzer test that showed alcohol in his system. Høiby's conditions do not allow him to consume intoxicants, so that claim is at the heart of the prosecutors' case for keeping him in custody.
Reuters and U.S. News both covered the appeals ruling and the route it took through the courts.
For readers in the United States, the case is a reminder of how Norway's courts work. An appeal can reverse a release order within days. The royal family has not been a party to the criminal case, and the crown prince's home is only the place where the court-ordered arrest is served.
