"Monster." Prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence for the son of the Crown Princess of Norway in a rape case.

Hearings in one of the most high-profile criminal cases in modern Norwegian history are wrapping up in Oslo. Prosecutors have requested a seven-year, seven-month prison sentence for 29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, on charges of rape. The final verdict is expected in early June, according to the BBC.

The prosecution maintains Høiby's guilt on 39 of the 40 counts, including four counts of rape, domestic violence, drug possession, and nearly 1,000 violations of the restraining order. The prosecution emphasizes that extensive media coverage and his status as the Crown Prince's stepson should not affect the severity of the sentence. According to the prosecution, the most serious incident—the gang rape in 2018 at the Skaugum residence—is sufficient in itself to warrant a three-year prison sentence.

Høiby himself, whose mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, married heir apparent Haakon when Marius was just four years old, partially admitted guilt to lesser charges (drugs and traffic violations). However, Høiby categorically denies rape, insisting the encounters were consensual. In his final statement, he delivered an emotional speech, complaining of pressure from society and the media in particular.

"My life is completely public. My messages with my family, my conversations with my loved ones—everything is exposed. I've lost 98% of my social circle. The few who remain are afraid to go out with me, they don't want to be seen with me. I'm not Marius anymore, I'm a monster," the Norwegian publication Verdens Gang quotes him as saying.

Høiby also stated that he feels "hated" by the entire country and is struggling with depression. The defense is demanding a full acquittal on the rape charges and a reduced sentence of 18 months for the remaining offenses.

In early February, as Marius's trial was just beginning, the royal family faced a new wave of criticism: documents released in the US regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case revealed that the Crown Princess had corresponded with the convicted billionaire pedophile for several years, stayed at his Palm Beach mansion, and exchanged humorous messages with him after he had served time for sexually motivated crimes. Mette-Marit was forced to publicly apologize to the King and the nation, admitting that her communication with Epstein had been a mistake.

Let us remember that Marius Borg Høiby, being the stepson of the Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon, has no right to the Norwegian throne, nor does he have the royal title.

Photo: Rune Hellestad/Getty Imagesmarius_borg/Instagram* *