Prosecutors appeal sentence in Høiby case

Prosecutors have appealed the sentence handed down to Marius Borg Høiby in Oslo District Court, though not the acquittals, Dagbladet reports.

On 15 June, Høiby was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape and one count of domestic assault against his ex-girlfriend Nora Haukland between 2022 and 2023. He was acquitted of two other rape charges, including incidents alleged to have occurred in Lofoten in autumn 2023 and at a hotel in Oslo in November 2024.

Earlier this week, it emerged that Høiby is appealing his convictions for the two rapes and the domestic assault. Prosecutors have now filed a cross-appeal, which is directly tied to Høiby’s appeal and will be withdrawn if the court of appeal declines to hear his case.

“The court of appeal must first approve the appeal and decide whether to take it on. This is a cross-appeal, so it is linked to Høiby’s,” said Siv Alsén, senior communications advisor at Oslo Police District.

Prosecutors argue that sentencing standards for rape and domestic assault are evolving, and that the district court applied a lower threshold than they had sought. “We would like a renewed assessment of the sentencing level if the court of appeal takes the case,” said Chief Public Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø.

The appeal is expected to be heard in Borgarting Court of Appeal next year. Høiby has been in pre-trial detention since 2 February and has requested release three times, most recently citing his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s recent lung transplant. The district court has indicated it may not be proportionate to keep him detained pending the appeal.

Høiby admitted guilt to charges including threats against a man and a major drug offence involving 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2020, but sentencing for these will not begin until the case is fully resolved.