Prosecutors win appeal against release
The Oslo District Court had granted the 29-year-old's release request on November 2, despite prosecutors seeking another four weeks of detention. Se og Hør reported the initial decision, while NRK reported that prosecutors intended to challenge it.
In their successful appeal, prosecutors argued that Høiby still posed a risk of committing new offenses. They also cited an unannounced test that they said was positive for alcohol, arguing that it breached the terms of his custody outside prison. Høiby denies consuming alcohol. His lawyer Daniel Storrvik has said he sees no risk that his client would reoffend.
The November 4 ruling requires Høiby to continue wearing an ankle monitor and observing the other restrictions at Skaugum, according to NRK and Norway's News in English. Defense lawyers Alexander Greaker and Storrvik said they would examine the court's reasoning and discuss the next steps with him.
Lawyer describes difficulties in custody
Before the district court granted release, Storrvik spoke publicly about the strain of Høiby's detention. The lawyer, who accompanied him to court on Monday morning, told Dagbladet that his client had been struggling at Skaugum. He described the combined circumstances as making the current situation very painful for Høiby.
Speaking separately to TV2, Storrvik said the custody arrangement had worked well for a time, but circumstances he declined to explain had since changed matters. He did not specify what had happened. He said Høiby's decision to seek release was itself an indication of how precarious his situation had become.
Restrictions at Skaugum
Høiby has been in pre-trial detention since February 2026. He was initially held in prison before being moved to Skaugum under strict conditions, including electronic monitoring.
According to VG, he must remain inside his house or on its terrace unless he has permission to leave for work, school, treatment or family visits. He may visit his mother, Queen Mette-Marit, 53, for three hours a day in the estate's main house.
The custody terms also include frequent unannounced drug tests and weekly sessions with the police's RISK program, which aims to prevent domestic violence. In September 2026, he was permitted to attend funeral rituals for his step-grandfather, King Harald, Norway's News in English reported.
Convictions to be heard on appeal in February
In June 2026, the Oslo District Court sentenced Høiby to four years in prison; prosecutors had sought seven. The convictions included the rape of two women, domestic abuse against his former partner Nora Haukland, violence and a restraining-order violation. He was acquitted of two other rape counts.
Høiby appealed, and his case is scheduled to go before the Borgarting Court of Appeal on February 9, 2027. The court has allocated 16 days for the proceedings.
