In room 250 of the Oslo District Court, the air is still during the final hours of the trial and the atmosphere is calm but serious as the public and journalists from several countries listen to the deliberations.
"Several of the plaintiffs have been wondering how it would go, and they have been in a courtroom for seven weeks. For their sake, I am glad that we are finished now; it has obviously been a strain on the defendant," says Sturla Henriksbø.
Marius Borg Høiby is currently wearing a black shirt. He usually looks down at the table and seems to be focused on a piece of paper where he is writing or sketching something. When asked at the end if he wants to say anything, he shakes his head.
Not sufficient evidence
The prosecution on Wednesday requested seven years and seven months in prison for Høiby, who is accused of raping four women, among other charges. But the closing argument was Høiby's.
Lawyer Petar Sekulic claims that one of the women lied and that others have failed to prove that the sexual intercourse filmed by Høiby constituted abuse.
"We believe that the evidence is not sufficient for him to be convicted of rape, nor for violence in a close relationship," Sekulic told reporters at the district court.
Høiby has admitted to some lesser charges and the defense is demanding that he be convicted of only those charges, and receive a maximum sentence of one year and six months in prison.
Concerns about impact
Both Sekulic and Høiby's other lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs, addressed the large media interest in the trial during the day. Holager Andenæs believes that this should be taken into account before the verdict.
"I think we've never seen such media exposure," she says in court.
Sturla Henriksbø tells TT that there was concern that the media attention would affect the proceedings, but believes that ultimately it has not.
But the media pressure that has been here is quite unique in Norwegian society.
Among the audience on the last day of the trial is a group of 18-year-old high school students.
"We have gained a different perspective on him (Marius); we see that he is a real person and not just someone in the media," says Ane Wolden.
When asked how they believe the case affects the position of the monarchy in Norway, fellow student Beatrice Karlsen answers:
"Marius is not as big a part of the monarchy as the rest of the family. I don't think it affects it to that extent."
Facts: Marius Borg Høiby
Marius Borg Høiby is 29 years old and the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway from a previous relationship with Morten Borg. Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.
The "Bonus Prince" is charged with 40 crimes, including assaulting two former girlfriends and four counts of rape. The rapes were committed while the victims were asleep, according to prosecutors.
Høiby has admitted to certain crimes, but denied the rape allegations.
The trial began on February 3 and concluded on Thursday.
According to Norwegian media, the verdict is expected in early June.
