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Oslo police have charged Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s crown princess Mette-Marit, with multiple offences including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm following an extended investigation involving a “double-digit” number of alleged victims.
Høiby, 28, who is the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, was arrested several times in 2024 amid allegations of rape and preliminary charges of physical assault and criminal damage.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski confirmed that the investigation has concluded, with charges now filed.
“I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number,” he said.
Evidence was gathered from text messages, witness statements and police searches.
The charges include one count of rape involving intercourse, two counts of rape without intercourse, four counts of sexual assault and two of bodily harm.
Defence lawyer Petar Sekulic told the Associated Press that Høiby is “absolutely taking the accusations very seriously,” but denies wrongdoing in most cases, particularly those concerning “sexual abuse and violence.”
The high-profile case has dominated headlines in Norway, where the royal family remains widely admired.
Høiby, who once resided with the royal couple and their children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, now lives independently nearby.
He remains at liberty ahead of a possible trial and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit attracted public attention in 2001 when she married Crown Prince Haakon, having previously been a single mother and partner to a man with a drug conviction.
