Court of appeal keeps Hoiby in custody despite mother's illness
Borgarting Court of Appeal has ruled that Marius Borg Hoiby (29), the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, will not be released from custody to be near his seriously ill mother, overturning a district court decision in his favour.
June 10, 2026
Photo of Oslo Prison by Ssu, Wikipedia Common
Court of appeal overturns release
Borgarting Court of Appeal has upheld the prosecution's appeal and ruled that Marius Borg Hoiby will not be released. This is the second time in weeks his detention has been fought through the courts, and just days before the verdict in his criminal trial.
The court found that the risk of reoffending is not reduced, pointing to the ex-girlfriend's need for protection and an "obvious risk" that Hoiby would re-establish contact. The court further held that his mother Mette-Marit's illness does not make continued detention disproportionate.
Hoiby’s lawyers called the ruling a major disappointment and are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The release request
Hoiby has been in custody since early February, the day before his seven-week trial opened. On Friday his lawyers sought release, citing that his mother was placed on the lung transplant waiting list the same day - Hoiby says he wants to be near her and the family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.
On Monday the District Court agreed he should be freed, calling continued detention a disproportionate intrusion on both Hoiby and his mother. To justify it the court reached back 40 years, to a December 1986 Supreme Court ruling that freed a man to be with his cancer-stricken mother. A judge told the news outlet VG that this is a rare precedent.
The prosecution appealed on the spot, giving the risk of reoffending as its reason and noting Hoiby breached his restraining order against the "Frogner woman" as recently as four months ago.
An earlier attempt that reached the Supreme Court
In May, Hoiby asked to serve the rest of his detention with an electronic ankle monitor in the home he rents on the Crown Prince couple's estate at Skaugum. He was refused by the District Court (6 May) and Court of Appeal (13 May), and the Supreme Court's appeals committee dismissed his appeal on 20 May — citing the same reoffending risk.
The charges and what comes next
Hoiby is charged with 40 offences, the gravest being four rapes of sleeping victims and domestic abuse against a former partner. He denies the most serious charges but has admitted several lesser ones: restraining-order breaches, an aggravated drug offence and traffic violations.
Hoiby faces prison regardless. The electronic-monitoring and release requests only concerns his pre-trial detention, not the eventual sentence. The prosecution has asked for prison for seven years and seven months.
The verdict is due Monday 15 June.
SOURCES
Dagbladet
Court of Appeal will not release Marius Borg Høiby: «Obvious risk»Aftenposten
Oslo District Court rules to release Marius Borg Hoiby; prosecution appealsAftenposten
Hoiby appeal goes before the Court of AppealAgderposten
District Court wanted to release Hoiby — prosecution appealedNRK
Marius Borg Hoiby appeals ankle-monitor refusal to the Supreme CourtAftenposten
Supreme Court dismisses Hoiby's ankle-monitor appealVG
Prosecution asks for seven years and seven months for Marius Borg HoibyNettavisen
Marius Borg Hoiby charged with new offences, including an aggravated drug offenceNettavisen
These are Marius Borg Hoiby's arguments for being released