Høiby Changes Story in Oslo Rape Trial

0:03 Calorougus Shark Media. Hello, Welcome to Crown and Controversy Norway. I am your Palace Intrigue host Mark Francis. As a new week begins in Oslo District Court, the case against Marius borg Hoibe enters a more confrontational phase, with the focus shifting from what happened on a single night to how consistently the accused can describe it after a friday dominated by his return to the witness box. The court is now grappling with a central question that will shape the rest of the proceedings, whether his evolving memory strengthens his defense or undermines his credibility. Weeby, who denies the rape charge, has taught the court that the sexual encounter in the Oslo West case was consensual and that he never realized the woman had fallen asleep. I have not noticed that she fell asleep at any point, he said.

0:56 He also addressed the atmosphere at the after party where they met, describing it in blunt terms. There was cocaine, alcohol and various things. The woman, for her part, has testified that she consumed only alcohol. In his account, the two had what he now says were two consensual sexual encounters before he left the apartment. He described sensing a change in mood as he departed. I remember there was a strange atmosphere, but I thought it was because I left after we had sex. Dump and run as an ugly expression, but I perceived that she was sulking because of that, he told the court. But as the questioning moved deeper into detail, the emphasis turned from events to recollection.

1:36 Who webe acknowledged the difficulty of separating his own memory from everything that has happened since. I have probably said it a hundred million times now, but it is difficult to distinguish between what I remember and what I have read and been explained, he said, a formulation that goes directly to the prosecution's argument that his story has developed over time. That tension became visible when he described the circumstance answers of his first police interview, saying he had been held for forty hours beforehand. The prosecutor immediately corrected him, No, you had been held for thirteen hours in twenty six minutes. It was a brief exchange, but one that underscored how closely his precision and consistency are now being tested. The court also heard his most detailed description yet of the level of intoxication that night. He spoke of ketamine taking at at dinner, a confrontation at the nightclub Michael's, and later using large amounts of cocaine, first in Holman Colin and then again at the after party along with vodka.

2:36 Asked about the effect of combining substances, he replied, judgment does get worse from a combination, while also remarking you do get in quite a good mood from cocaine. Central to the case are the five videos found in a concealed folder on his phone. The woman has testified that she never consented to being filmed and would have stopped it if she had known. Waby told the court he assumed she would have if she had been aware. I cannot remember it specifically, but I would have thought she would have said something if it was not okay. I have no idea that she did not notice, he said. Pressed on the recordings, he drew a careful distinction between recognizing what he sees and remembering the act itself. He said he could identify the sequence shown in the first video, but did not specifically recall activating the camera. The prosecution has also challenged why his account of the consensual sex has changed. In earlier police interviews, he spoke of one encounter in court he now says there were two, separated by a pause during which they lay talking. Asked when he remembered this, he answered simply, when I came to remember.

3:39 It is difficult to say, but I remember it now. During the most intense stretch of questioning, when he was repeatedly asked whether there had ever been any agreement that sexual activity could continue while the woman slept, Waby visibly reacted and asked for a break in proceedings, telling the court he was tired of the same question being put to him. In a separate divention of his own, he addressed a claim raised earlier in the trial that he had used his stepfather's credit card. I have never had my stepfather's credit card. That has never happened, he said. The day's evidence also returned to the wider pattern described in the indictment, including the episode at the nightclub Michael's, where he has already admitted part of the criminal charge relating to aggressive behavior and property damage following an argument with his then partner. As the court adjourned for the weekend.

4:27 The legal positions remained unchanged, but the emphasis had shifted. The prosecution is building a picture in which intoxication, concealed recordings, and altered explanations form a consistent narrative. The defense continues to argue that everything that happened was voluntary and that the videos reflect the situation in which both parties were awake and participating. With the trial moving into a new week, the case now rests as much on the reliability of memory as on the interpretation of the evidence itself, and for the Royal household watching from a distance, the most this difficult phase may be the one now beginning, as each day turns less on what is alleged to have happened and more on whether the man at the center of the storm can give one account and hold to it.

5:12 Portions of this recap were assembled with the assistance of AI, including help with translations, summarizations, and news gathering from publicly available sources. We've taken care to reflect the reporting accurately. Translations and interpretations may contain errors. Listeners should treat this as an informational overview and not a verbetan court record. Nothing in this program should be considered a factual finding or legal determination. We'll have more in just a moment away from the witness box. The consequences for the royal household continue to mount, and this time the blow lands directly on Crown Princess Madame Marie. Another of her official patronages has now been placed on ice. The Norwegian Library Association announced that it is pausing her role as royal patron while it waits for a fuller explanation of her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement, they said earlier this week, we asked the Royal household for more information about the Crown Princess's relationship with the convicted abuser, Jeffrey Epstein.

6:11 We need more knowledge and clarity in this matter. The information that has emerged so far provides grounds for critical questions. In light of the current situation, we have decided to put the patronage on hold. This is not a permanent break, but in royal terms, a pause is still a public signal and the latest in a growing list. In Netavison, Danish columnist fee West Mudsen writes that Norway's royal family is facing what she describes as a historic crisis, arguing that it's not just wild, it's completely insane. Madsen says many Danes are watching shocked and stunned as the Norwegian monarchy appears to be unraveling. She points to what she calls a succession of scandals, Princess Martin Luis's controversies, which we covered in season one in this podcast, feed and take a look back at that first season a doozy, the criminal charges against Marius borg Wabi, and most significantly, Crown Princess Metamorat's documented contact with Jeffrey Epstein. She writes that the revelation that Metamriat appeared hundreds of times in Epstein related documents and that she allegedly had a warm and close relationship with him, combined with what she suggests were earlier misleading statements about that relationship, is what has made the cup overflow. Madsen compares the situation to pasted Danish royal controversies, including the hurl of schun school case, King Frederick's Madrid trip, and the removal of Prince Joakim's children's titles, but argues that those episodes seem like small matters compared to what Norway is now facing. She poses

7:43 two central questions, First, how could it end up here? Second, as the Norwegian royal family placed loyalty to family members above the stability of the monarchy itself. Referencing the Norwegian television series Exit, which portrays moral duque among Oslo's elite, she questions whether behind me the polished royal image, there may have been a culture that failed to distinguish clearly between right and wrong. Madson argues that monarchies survive on a social contract. The royal family receives privileges, but in return must demonstrate higher moral standards. She questions why alleged problems involving Marius borg Whaby were not addressed earlier, and why a full transparency about Metamurit's Epstein connections did not come in twenty nineteen when media first raised questions. She concludes that while there is sympathy for Crown Prince Harken and the elderly King and Queen, many are now waiting for a direct explanation from the Crown Princess Meta Marie herself.

8:36 And there you have it if you'd like to email us or addresses the Palace intrig at Gmail. And dot com. Please follows on Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice. I'm Mark Francis when thanks to John McDermott, this is Crown and controversy Norway