OSLO, Norway (AP) 鈥� Oslo police on Friday announced charges against Marius Borg H酶iby, the eldest son of Norway鈥檚 crown princess, on multiple counts including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm after a monthslong investigation of a case that involved a 鈥渄ouble-digit鈥� number of alleged victims.
H酶iby, the 28-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 amid and on preliminary charges of .
Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski said that H酶iby 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.
鈥淚 cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number,鈥� he said.
Defense attorney Petar Sekulic, in an email to The Associated Press, said H酶iby was 鈥渁bsolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn鈥檛 acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases 鈥� especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence.鈥�
The royal palace said 鈥渢he case is proceeding through the legal system and is following normal procedures. We have nothing further to add.鈥�
The case was top news in Norway, where the royals are popular.
H酶iby 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.
H酶iby remains free pending a possible trial and is entitled to a presumption of innocence until a court rules otherwise.
Once known affectionately as 鈥淟ittle Marius,鈥� H酶iby grew up in the public eye enjoying the same wealth and privilege as his royal siblings, although his biological father, Morton Borg, served time in prison for drugs and violent offenses. Hoiby has acknowledged cocaine use and addiction.
Norway鈥檚 future queen made headlines in 2001 when she married Haakon, because she was a single mother who had lived a freewheeling life with a companion who had been convicted on drug charges.
The Associated Press
