Oslo police on Friday introduced costs towards Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s crown princess, on a number of counts together with rape, sexual assault and bodily hurt after a months-long investigation of a case that concerned a “double-digit” variety of alleged victims.
Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the inheritor to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, has been below scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 amid allegations of rape and on preliminary costs of bodily hurt and felony injury.
Oslo Police Lawyer Andreas Kruszewski mentioned Høiby was cooperative throughout police questioning, which is now full.
Proof within the case was drawn from sources together with text-messages, witness testimonies and police searches, the police lawyer mentioned.
The fees included one case of rape involving intercourse and two instances of rape with out intercourse, 4 instances of sexual assault and two instances of bodily hurt, Kruszewksi mentioned at a information convention.
“I can not go into additional element concerning the variety of victims within the case past confirming that it’s a double-digit quantity,” he mentioned.
Defence lawyer Petar Sekulic, in an e-mail to The Related Press, mentioned Høiby was “completely taking the accusations very significantly, however does not acknowledge any wrongdoing in many of the instances — particularly the instances relating to sexual abuse and violence.”
The royal palace didn’t instantly reply to an e-mailed request from the AP looking for remark. The palace was quoted by the Norwegian newswire NTB saying it will not remark whereas the case winds its approach by way of the “regular procedures”.
The case was prime information in Norway, the place the royals are widespread.
Høiby, 28, beforehand lived with the royal couple and their two youngsters, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, however now lives in a separate home close by, in response to Sekulic.
Høiby stays free pending a potential trial and is entitled to a presumption of innocence till a courtroom guidelines in any other case.
As soon as identified affectionately as “Little Marius,” Høiby grew up within the public eye having fun with the identical wealth and privilege as his royal siblings, though his organic father, Morton Borg, served time in jail for medicine and violent offences.
Høiby has acknowledged cocaine use and habit.
Norway’s future queen made headlines in 2001 when she married Haakon as a result of she was a single mom who had lived a freewheeling life with a companion who had been convicted on drug costs.
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