Son Of Norway’s Crown Princess Pleads Not Guilty To Rape

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Son of Norway’s crown princess He pleaded not guilty to rape charges when he appeared in court on Tuesday for multiple alleged offences, opening weeks of hearings in a case that has tarnished the royal family’s image.

Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.

Høiby asked him if he had pleaded guilty as prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø read the 38 charges against him in the Oslo district court. He answered “no” to the most serious charges, including four counts of rape.

The charges include intimate partner abuse against a former partner, acts of violence against another, and possession of 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of marijuana. Others include making death threats and traffic violations.

Høiby pleaded guilty to multiple driving offences, aggravated drug offenses and violating a restraining order, as well as “partial” menacing and aggravated assault. Wearing glasses, a brown sweater and beige trousers, the man spoke quietly and met regularly with a defense attorney.

Prosecutors said Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted in the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19. Seven alleged victims are expected to testify.

“There is equality before the law,” Henriksbø told the court. “The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. However, he will be treated the same as others accused of the same crimes.”

The defendant sat between defense attorneys Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic at the start of the hearing and later moved to a table behind them, where he fiddled with the chain as the prosecutor laid out the arguments.

Reflecting international interest in the trial, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the court in English, warning that photography or recording was prohibited in the courtroom and recommending that some witness statements be heard behind closed doors.

Andenæs argued that Høiby’s fame had already colored the situation. He said he faced a “tsunami of publicity” that left him feeling “lost control of his life” for a long time, and that the weight of public scrutiny from thousands of newspaper articles made it hard for him to believe he could prevail.

The defense lawyer said in court, “He, like everyone else, is innocent until proven guilty. The verdict will be announced in this courtroom and nowhere else.” “Only you will decide that.”

Investigation Started in 2024. Police were first called to an apartment in Oslo’s upscale Frogner district following reports of a violent incident. Høiby was arrested and later released, but the case escalated as other women came forward with allegations.

Indictment prosecutors focus on four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; Allegations of violence and threats against a former partner between summer 2022 and autumn 2023; and two counts of alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with breach of a restraining order.

It was expanded in January, when Høiby was charged with a further six offences, including possession and delivery of a large quantity of cannabis, as well as restraining order breaches.

he was free pending trial until police said Sunday that he had been arrested on new allegations of assault, threatening with a knife and violating a restraining order.

On Monday, an Oslo court accepted a request to keep him in custody for up to four weeks due to the risk of re-offending. Defense lawyer Petar Sekulic said the arrest followed an alleged “incident” involving another person on Sunday.

He said Høiby had objected to his detention and that his legal team was considering filing an objection as soon as he and the other person gave a statement to the police.

Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit did not plan to attend the hearing and that the royal family did not intend to comment during the hearing.

King Harald, 88, and the royal family are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case poses a problem for the family’s image.

The trial began at a particularly sensitive moment. Mette-Marit faces renewed review about past contacts jeffrey epsteinThe man killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he faced sex trafficking charges after a new batch of documents were released Friday. Epstein files.

The crown princess, who said she regretted contacting Epstein in 2019, was mentioned hundreds of times, Norwegian media reported. Documents, including email exchanges, showed that Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013. Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the stay was arranged through a mutual friend, which was later confirmed by the royal family.

Mette-Marit said in her statement that “Epstein must take responsibility for not investigating his past in more detail and not realizing what kind of person he was sooner.” He added: “I showed poor judgment and regret having any contact with Epstein. This is truly disgraceful.”

Mark Lewis reported from Stavanger. Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.