Norwegian crown princess' 28-year-old son accused of rape, sexual assault

Marius Borg Høiby, 28-year-son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, does not have any royal title.

Marius Borg Høiby, the 28-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, heir to the throne, is accused of three rapes and several sexual assaults. He was arrested three times last year, including for violating a restraining order and due to the risk of evidence being lost.

Marius Borg Høiby sitting next to his mother, Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The pic was taken in 2022. (AFP)

The Norwegian police investigated Høiby for ten months before finally handing the case over to the prosecutors. Though his mom is married to a royal, Høiby does not have a royal title or duties.

“During the investigation, we have both received reports that have led to an investigation, and investigated cases that the police have come across in the investigation material along the way. Criminal cases have been investigated within several categories of cases, including violent and sexual offenses,” Oslo Police District said in a statement.

The statement further lists that he is charged with several counts of sexual assault and rape.

"I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number," police attorney Andreas Kruszewski told the BBC.

Høiby's lawyer, Petar Sekulic, however, said that his client is "taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn't acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases - especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence".

The Royal House of Norway stated that the case is proceeding through the legal system but didn't provide further details.