In August last year, it was announced that Norwegian Crown Princess' son, Marius Borg Høiby, had been charged with 32 offences, including four counts of rape.
The 29-year-old, who is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and businessman Morten Borg, and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon since he was four in 2001, has now had six new charges added onto his sexual assault trial.
The initial 32 criminal offences include one count of rape with sexual intercourse, three counts of rape without intercourse, some of which he filmed on his telephone, the prosecution said.
These four instances of rape for which Høiby is charged allegedly took place in 2018, 2023, and 2024, the last one after the police investigation began.
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In addition to those four counts of rape, other charges confirmed last year include:
- Domestic violence/abuse in close relationships (multiple counts)
- Assaults on at least two former partners
- Death threats
- Filming women’s genitals without consent
- Violation of restraining/visitation orders (multiple instances)
- Property damage/vandalism
- Disturbing the peace/harassment of police
- Traffic violations (driving without a license, etc).
Høiby's lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenaes, has said that he has denied the most serious accusations against him, including those of rape and domestic violence.
Next month, Høiby, who has no royal title or official duties, will appear in court to face these listed charges as well as six new ones per the Norwegian Public Prosecutor’s Office.
As per Vanity Fair, the most serious of the new charges allegedly took place in July 2020, when Høiby was said to have received and transported at least 3.5 kilos of marijuana from Lørenskog to Tønsberg, where he delivered it to a person.
Høiby has reportedly since acknowledged such allegations as true, with his attorney noting that he was not paid for the job. The other new charges centre on two alleged violations of a restraining order, and three offences against the Traffic Act.
Høiby's upcoming trial is expected to begin in Oslo district court next Tuesday (3 February) and it is expected to continue until the following month (13 March).
Høiby has been under investigation since his arrest on 4 August 2024 on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend.
In a public statement 10 days after his arrest, Høiby claimed he had acted 'under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument', having suffered from 'mental troubles' and struggling 'for a long time with substance abuse'.
Following the charges, according to Reuters, Crown Prince Haakon said the family would do their best to carry out duties as normal.
"We will continue to carry out our duties as best we can, as we always do," he said. "Everyone involved in this case probably finds it challenging and difficult."
"It is for the courts to consider this matter and reach a decision. We have no further comment," the royal court previously told Tyla in a statement.
If found guilty of the most serious charges, Høiby could face up to a decade in prison.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Topics: Europe, World News, News, Crime, Royal Family
Rhiannon Ingle