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Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of the crown princess of Norway, has been charged with rape, sexual assault, and bodily harm.
According to The Guardian, Oslo police announced the charges on Friday, following a months-long investigation that involved alleged victims in the “double-digit” numbers.
Marius is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne. He was born outside of the Crown Princess' marriage to Crown Prince Haakon and has been facing backlash since August last year, when he was arrested for his alleged involvement in assaulting his girlfriend.
The charges against Marius Borg Høiby explored as law officials list 23 different offences in total:
Police attorney Andreas Kruszweski spoke to reporters recently to announce the charges brought about by the 10-month-long investigation. Marius Borg Høiby was suspected of "one count of rape with sexual intercourse" and "two counts of rape without sexual intercourse," Kruszweski said.
Høiby's lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenaes, had previously told news agency NTB that her client was maintaining his innocence against the three rape allegations. Kruszewski said Marius Borg Høiby cooperated with police during interrogations, adding that evidence was drawn from text exchanges, witness testimonies, and police searches.
Høiby was raised alongside his stepsiblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 19, but bears no official role in the public, CBS News has reported. His defense attorney, Petar Sekulic, revealed that his 28-year-old client previously stayed with the royal family but now has his own home nearby.
"I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number," Kruszewski added.
Sekulic also told the Associated Press in an email that his client 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."
Kruszewski also revealed that Marius Borg Høiby was suspected of
"four counts of sexually offensive behavior, one count of abuse in a close relationship, two counts of bodily harm, one count of vandalism, one count of issuing threats, five violations of restraining orders, one count of insulting a police officer and five traffic offenses."
As of this writing, the royal family, which remains widely admired in Norway, has yet to issue an official statement. Marius Borg Høiby remains free, pending a possible trial. He stands innocent until proven guilty.
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