The son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit is waiting for a higher court to rule on whether he can be released from custody to be with his ill mother, who has a serious lung disorder, following a lower court decision and an appeal on Monday.
Earlier Monday, a court in Oslo granted the release of Marius Borg Høiby.
But the public prosecutor’s office immediately lodged an appeal against the decision, which suspends the earlier ruling. Høiby must therefore remain in custody until a higher court has reviewed the case.
The police had previously opposed his release, but the court in Oslo took a different view. "Continuing his detention would be very stressful not only for Høiby, but also for his mother, given the already difficult situation they find themselves in," the newspaper Verdens Gang quoted the court as saying.
Høiby, 29, is on trial on rape charges, with a verdict to be announced in one week. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison, while the defence has called for an acquittal on the most serious charges – four counts of rape.
"Sitting in there while Mum is so ill is unbearable," Høiby said at the court hearing in Oslo, according to the Verdens Gang newspaper.
He said it was very hard not to be able to support his mother in her situation. In court, the Norwegian insisted that he would now "never do anything to make the situation worse."
