4 months ago
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The lad of Norway's crown princess pleaded not blameworthy to rape charges arsenic helium went connected proceedings connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026) for aggregate alleged offences, opening weeks of proceedings successful a lawsuit that has formed a shadiness connected the royal family's image.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest lad of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a erstwhile narration and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has nary royal rubric oregon authoritative duties.
Mr. Høiby stood portion authoritative Sturla Henriksbø work retired the 38 counts against him successful the Oslo territory court, asking him if helium pleaded guilty. He replied "no" to the astir superior charges, including the 4 counts of rape.
The charges besides see maltreatment successful a adjacent narration against 1 erstwhile partner, acts of unit against different and transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana. Others see making decease threats and postulation violations.
Mr. Høiby pleaded blameworthy to respective driving offences, to an aggravated drugs offence and to breaking a restraining order, and "partly" to threats and aggravated assault. Wearing glasses, a brownish sweater and beige trousers, helium spoke softly and conferred regularly with a defence lawyer.
Prosecutors person said that Mr. Høiby could look up to 10 years successful situation if convicted successful the trial, which is scheduled to past until March 19. Seven accusers are expected to testify.
"There is equality earlier the law," Mr. Henriksbø told the court. "The suspect is the lad of the crown princess. He is portion of the royal family. He shall nevertheless beryllium treated successful the aforesaid mode arsenic immoderate different idiosyncratic who is charged with the aforesaid offences."
The suspect sat betwixt defence lawyers Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic for the opening of the proceedings and moved aboriginal to a array down them, wherever helium fiddled with a concatenation portion the authoritative outlined the allegations.
International interest
Reflecting planetary involvement successful the trial, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the tribunal successful English, informing that it was prohibited to grounds oregon instrumentality photographs successful the courtroom and advising that immoderate witnesser grounds would beryllium heard down closed doors.
Ms. Andenæs argued that Mr. Høiby's fame had already coloured the case. She said helium had faced a "tsunami of publicity" implicit a agelong play that had made him "feel that helium is losing power of his life," and that the value of nationalist scrutiny from thousands of paper articles had made it hard for him to judge helium could prevail.
"Like everyone else, helium is guiltless until proven guilty. The verdict volition beryllium pronounced successful this courtroom and not anyplace else," the defence lawyer told the court. "It is lone you who volition determine this."
Outside the courtroom, Hege Salomon, a lawyer for 1 of the women accusing Mr. Høiby of rape, said her lawsuit wanted to stay anonymous and was "very scared" that the nationalist mightiness larn her name, adding "the media sum adds to the pressure, particularly due to the fact that she's not a celebrated person."
Ms. Salomon said her lawsuit had been contacted by constabulary and decided to testify, "and she thinks it's close that ... they person pressed charges and truthful on, but it was not her that initiated it."
The probe began successful 2024. Police were archetypal called to an flat successful Oslo's upscale Frogner neighbourhood pursuing reports of a convulsive incident. Høiby was arrested and aboriginal released, but the lawsuit expanded arsenic much women came guardant with allegations.
The indictment prosecutors centres connected 4 alleged rapes betwixt 2018 and November 2024; alleged unit and threats against a erstwhile spouse betwixt the summertime of 2022 and the autumn of 2023; and 2 alleged acts of unit against a consequent partner, on with violations of a restraining order.
It was expanded successful January, erstwhile Mr. Høiby was charged with six much offences, including possession and transportation of ample quantities of marijuana and further restraining bid violations.
He was escaped pending proceedings until Sunday, erstwhile constabulary said helium was arrested implicit caller allegations of assault, threats with a weapon and usurpation of a restraining order.
Crown Prince Haakon said past week that helium and Ms. Mette-Marit bash not program to be the proceedings and that the royal location does not mean to remark during the proceedings.
Royal problems
King Harald, 88, and the royals are mostly fashionable successful Norway, but the Høiby lawsuit has been a occupation for the family's image.
The proceedings opened astatine a peculiarly delicate moment. Ms. Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny implicit her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, who died successful 2019 successful a New York jailhouse compartment arsenic helium faced enactment trafficking charges, pursuing the merchandise connected Friday (January 30, 2026) of a caller batch of documents from the Epstein files.
They contained respective 100 mentions of the crown princess, who already said successful 2019 that she regretted having had interaction with Epstein, Norwegian media reported. The documents, which see email exchanges, showed that Ms. Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned spot successful Palm Beach, Florida, for respective days successful 2013. Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the enactment was arranged done a communal friend, which was aboriginal confirmed by the royal household.
Ms. Mette-Marit said successful a connection that she "must instrumentality work for not having investigated Epstein's inheritance much thoroughly, and for not realising sooner what benignant of idiosyncratic helium was."
She added, "I showed mediocre judgement and regret having had immoderate interaction with Epstein astatine all. It is simply embarrassing."
