Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been charged with multiple offenses, including rape, sexual assault, and bodily harm. This comes after a comprehensive investigation that identified a “double-digit” number of alleged victims, as announced by Oslo police on Friday.
Høiby, who is the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, has faced scrutiny following several arrests in 2024 related to accusations of rape and preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage. During the police inquiry, Høiby has been cooperative.
Evidence collected includes text messages, witness testimonies, and findings from police searches. At 28 years old, Høiby was born from a relationship before Mette-Marit’s marriage to Haakon in 2001.
He has grown up alongside his royal stepsiblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, but does not hold an official public role in the royal family. His defense attorney, Petar Sekulic, noted that while Høiby once lived with the royal family, he now resides in a separate home nearby.
The specific charges against Høiby include one count of rape involving intercourse and two counts of rape without intercourse, in addition to four cases of sexual assault and two cases of bodily harm. Police attorney Andreas Kruszewski confirmed the involvement of a significant number of victims but maintained confidentiality regarding their identities.
Høiby’s defense has communicated that he takes the accusations seriously, although he denies wrongdoing in many of the cases, particularly those concerning sexual abuse and violence. The royal palace has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Until further legal proceedings occur, Høiby is presumed innocent.