Marius Borg Høiby assault at Skaugum residence, Digi Mart USA News (Skaugum, Norway): Norwegian media report that the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit was attacked Friday evening at Skaugum, the royal estate where he is serving his pretrial detention with an ankle monitor. It has been described as a dramatic week for him.
According to VG and NRK, Høiby’s defense attorney, Daniel Storrvik, confirmed that a man forced his way onto the royal property. Storrvik told VG that being visited in one’s own home is very serious and unpleasant, and that Høiby likely experienced the situation as frightening and insecure given his current circumstances.
According to VG, the perpetrator was arrested and questioned after the incident and was later released. Se og Hør Norge reported that the man entered the property late Friday evening and allegedly caused a major disturbance by kicking one of the building’s doors in an attempt to enter Høiby’s residence.
Se og Hør Norge reported that Høiby himself opened the door to check what was happening, and that the uninvited visitor then pushed his way into the home and shoved him. The outlet reported that Høiby’s stepbrother was eventually able to have the man escorted out of the house, after which police were called.
The Norwegian intelligence service PST confirmed to Se og Hør Norge that an arrest was made at the property on Friday. The residence is located a few hundred meters from the main building, where King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit live.
The incident follows a turbulent week for the Norwegian royal family’s son. Earlier in the week, Høiby had been expected to be released after being sentenced to four years in prison for, among other things, two rapes and domestic violence.
However, on Wednesday, Borgarting Court of Appeal, Norway’s largest appeals court, decided that his release would not go ahead after prosecutors appealed the ruling.
Høiby therefore remains in pretrial detention with an ankle monitor at Skaugum, where Friday’s incident took place. The appeal case begins February 9, in which Høiby has appealed his conviction on the two rapes and domestic violence charges.
The indictment originally covered 40 counts, and he was convicted on 36 of them. The case has tentatively been allotted 16 court days, with the last court day expected to be March 5 if the schedule holds.
