Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been charged with multiple rapes and sexual assaults by police in Oslo
A prince in the Norwegian royal family has been charged with multiple rapes and sexual assaults after a months-long investigation with a “double-digit” number of alleged victims.
Oslo police have announced charges against Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. He has been under scrutiny since he was arrested in 2024 following allegations of rape.
Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski said Høiby was cooperative during police questioning, which is now complete. Evidence in the case was drawn from sources including text-messages, witness testimonies and police searches, the police attorney said.
The charges included one case of rape involving intercourse and two cases of rape without intercourse, four cases of sexual assault and two cases of bodily harm, Kruszewksi said at a news conference.
“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. Defence attorney Petar Sekulic said Høiby was “absolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases — especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence”.
Høiby, 28, previously lived with the royal couple and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, but now lives in a separate house nearby, according to Sekulic. Høiby remains free pending a possible trial and is entitled to a presumption of innocence until a court rules otherwise.
Once known affectionately as “Little Marius,” Høiby grew up in the public eye enjoying the same wealth and privilege as his royal siblings.
Speaking last December, the Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 51, said it had been a “challenging year” for the Norwegian royal house, so much so that the family has sought “professional help”, admitting that without that professional intervention, they would have been unable to fulfil their royal duties.
Following the latest charges, the palace was quoted by the Norwegian newswire NTB saying it would not comment while the case winds its way through the “normal procedures.”