OSLO — Defense lawyers for Marius Borg Høiby asked the court to acquit him on charges of rape as prosecutors sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months. Judges are expected to deliver a verdict in June.

Høiby is charged with a total of 40 offenses, including four counts of rape alleged to have occurred between 2018 and 2024 involving women prosecutors say were unable to give consent because they were asleep or incapacitated. He denies the rape charges against him.

"Høiby should be judged not for who he is, but for what he has done," Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø said. "The rules are designed so that one cannot evade guilt by getting high or drunk." "Rape and abuse in close relationships are among the most serious acts one can expose others to, and that must be reflected in the punishment."

Defense lawyers said there was no evidence supporting any of the rape charges. The central issues in the rape charges involve whether the women were capable of resisting and whether Høiby understood their condition.

During his trial, Høiby denied engaging sexually with sleeping women and said the encounters were consensual. He admitted to transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2020, possessing drugs, committing traffic violations, and breaching a restraining order.

"My whole life is common property. I am no longer Marius, I'm a monster," Marius Borg Høiby said in court.

"Media coverage bordered on the insane, but almost exceeded anything one could have feared beforehand," defense lawyer Petar Sekulic said. "What can be described as bad behavior, bad morals, which cannot be punished under the criminal law, should be disregarded."

Defense lawyer Petar Sekulic said that none of the pictures or videos presented during the trial proved a crime. Petar Sekulic questioned the credibility of the alleged victims.

Approximately 70 witnesses have testified at Høiby's trial. Hundreds of text messages and pieces of digital evidence were presented during the trial, with prosecutors referencing photos and videos recovered from Höiby's phone as evidence.

Defense lawyers said in court that an 18-month jail term would be appropriate for the offences to which Høiby had pleaded guilty. Defence lawyers said in court that Høiby should only be convicted of the charges to which he had confessed.

The 29-year-old is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, but has no royal titles or official duties. The trial began at the start of February 2026 at Oslo District Court.