OSLO, Norway (AP) — The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape charges as he went on trial Tuesday for multiple alleged offenses, opening weeks of proceedings in a case that has cast a shadow on 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 the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.
Høiby stood while prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø read out the 38 counts against him in the Oslo district court, asking him if he pleaded guilty. He replied “no” to the most serious charges, including the four counts of rape.
The charges also include abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of marijuana. Others include making death threats and traffic violations.
Høiby pleaded guilty to several driving offenses, to an aggravated drugs offense and to breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault. Wearing glasses, a brown sweater and beige trousers, he spoke quietly and conferred regularly with a defense lawyer.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 for the national sexual assault hotline in the U.S. or +47 800 57 000 for the helpline for victims of sexual abuse in Norway.
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Prosecutors have said that Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted in the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19. Seven accusers 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. He shall nevertheless be treated in the same way as any other person who is charged with the same offenses.”
The defendant sat between defense lawyers Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic for the beginning of the trial and moved later to a table behind them, where he fiddled with a chain while the prosecutor outlined the allegations.
International interest
Reflecting international interest in the trial, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the court in English, warning that it was prohibited to record or take photographs in the courtroom and advising that some witness testimony would be heard behind closed doors.
Andenæs argued that Høiby’s fame had already colored the case. She said he had faced a “tsunami of publicity” over a long period that had made him “feel that he is losing control of his life,” and that the weight of public scrutiny from thousands of newspaper articles had made it difficult for him to believe he could prevail.
“Like everyone else, he is innocent until proven guilty. The verdict will be pronounced in this courtroom and not anywhere else,” the defense lawyer told the court. “It is only you who will decide this.”
Outside the courtroom, Hege Salomon, a lawyer for one of the women accusing Høiby of rape, said her client wanted to remain anonymous and was “very scared” that the public might learn her name, adding “the media coverage adds to the pressure, especially because she’s not a famous person.”
Salomon said her client had been contacted by police and decided to testify, “and she thinks it’s correct that … they have pressed charges and so on, but it was not her that initiated it.”
The investigation began in 2024. Police were first called to an apartment in Oslo’s upscale Frogner neighborhood following reports of a violent incident. Høiby was arrested and later released, but the case expanded as more women came forward with allegations.
The indictment prosecutors centers on four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with violations of a restraining order.
It was expanded in January, when Høiby was charged with six more offenses, including possession and delivery of large quantities of marijuana and further restraining order violations.
He was free pending trial until Sunday, when police said he was arrested over new allegations of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.
Crown Prince Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit don’t plan to attend the trial and that the royal house doesn’t intend to comment during the proceedings.
Royal problems
King Harald, 88, and the royals are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case has been a problem for the family’s image.
The trial opened at a particularly sensitive moment. Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny over her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges, following the release on Friday of a new batch of documents from the Epstein files.
They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported. The documents, which include 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 household.
Mette-Marit said in a statement that she “must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly, and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was.” She added: “I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing.”
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Lewis reported from Stavanger. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source apnews.com ’
