Høiby Prosecutor seeks 7 years - He should not be judged for who he is, but for what he has done.

0:03 Calorougus Shark Media that low and welcome to Crown and Controversy Norway I'm Your Palace Intrigue host Mark Francis. The trial of Marius borg Hoibi is now entering its final phase. The prosecution has formally requested a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison. That recommendation is based on a finding of guilt on thirty nine of the forty charges in the indictment, including four alleged rapes, domestic abuse, violence threats, and drug offenses. Prosecutor Stirler henrix Burgh told the court Maririus borg Hoiby is not a monster. None of us are. We are all human, with good and bad.

0:48 He should not be judged for who he is, but for what he has done. Rape and abuse in close relationships are among the most serious offenses one person can commit against another that must be reflected in the sentence. The prosecution's case rests on three core ideas. First, that the women involved are credible, and that their accounts are supported by evidence, including messages and in several cases images and video recordings. Henrix Poe said the women are certain of their memory of what they experienced. These cannot be such detailed false memories that also match the other evidence in the case. Second, the prosecution argued that Hoybe's own explanations should carry little weight. In particular, they pointed to his repeated claims that he does not remember key events.

1:37 His memory gives us no help in this case, so you can disregard it, Henrix Poe said. And Third, the prosecution described what they believe was a pattern of behavior in at least one relationship that rises to the level of abuse. In the case involving Norah Hauckland, Henrix bo described a relationship marked by instability and fear. When does it happen next? What might he do next? This is what is central here. The most important legal question, however, it centers on the four rape allegations. In each case, the prosecution argues that sexual activity continued after the women were asleep or unable to resist. Hoyby is denied all of those allegations, repeatedly telling the court I do not sleep with women who are not awake. For the court, the key issue will not only be whether the women were unable to resist, but whether Hoiby understood that at the time. There was also significant focus on the case involving the woman referred to as the Frogner Woman. Her lawyer, Meta Yvon Larsen told the court, I see no possibility that he will be acquitted on the charges that concern my client. I believe this is more than individual acts of reckless behavior. It is much more than that. The prosecution has described repeated violations of a restraining order in that case, at one point referring to what they characterized as a thousand breaches. Another major part of Wednesday's proceedings involved financial compensation. Lawyers representing the women are seeking significant damages in total exceeding one million Norwegian kroner roughly about

3:09 one hundred four thousand US dollars. One lawyer described how one of the women experienced the aftermath of the alleged assault. We have heard how the victim experienced her own home becoming a crime scene and that she felt like an animal in a cage. Another lawyer emphasized the impact of media attention. The fear of being identified has been a consequence that has affected her functioning. The prosecution also addressed the role of media coverage, directly rejecting the idea that it should reduce any sentence Henry Spose said, when it comes to what we expect the defense will argue, namely the media attention. This has been considered before in very serious cases without leading to any reduction in sentence. They also pointed out that some of the alleged offenses took place after Hoby was already under investigation. Police prosecutor Andreas Kreshsky ads that you commit criminal acts after the media spotlight is on you as a known person, should not contribute to a reduction in sentence. More crown and controversy in just a moment in court, observers noted that Hovey appeared calm during the proceedings. He was seen drawing while listening, and did not appear visibly affected when the prosecution's sentence recommendation was read. At one point, during arguments about compensation and the characterization of one relationship as abuse, he reportedly shook his head and rolled his eyes. Legal experts say the prosecution's requested sentence is within the expected range, but it depends heavily on whether the court convicts on the rape charges. If the court is not convinced beyond a

4:41 reasonable doubt on those points, the final sentence could be significantly lower. As one legal commentator put it, the sentence level assumes he is convicted on the rape charges. This is not a given, so where does that leave the case. The prosecution believes they have assembled a clear picture a pattern of behavior involving violence, control, and exploitation. After two days of the prosecution laying out what they describe as a pattern of serious criminal behavior. The defense will focus on challenging that picture, particularly the most serious allegations. Expect them to argue that the relationships in question were consensual, that key events have been misinterpreted, and that there is reasonable doubt around whether Marius borg Hoibe knew the women were unable to resist. This is not about presenting new evidence, but about reframing what the court has already heard, and ultimately about whether the judges can be sure beyond a reasonable doubt. In the end, the verdict will depend on what the judges believe has been proven and how they interpret that full picture. The verdict is expected in late May or early June. Portions of this program were assembled with the assistance of AI, including help with translations, summarizations, and news gathering from publicly available sources. While we've taken care to reflect the reporting accurately. Translations and interpretations may contain errors. Listeners should treat this as an information overview, not a verbatim court record. Nothing in this program should be considered a factual finding of legal determination. And there I have it. If you'd like to email us of addresses The Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com, please follo

6:12 us on Spotify, Apple or the Apple for your choice, Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Crown and Controversy Norway