Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Hoiby, has officially been charged with "rape, sexual assault and bodily harm" against a "double-digit" number of people.
The charges consist of one case of rape involving intercourse, and two cases of rape without intercourse, four cases of sexual assault and two cases of bodily harm. The news was confirmed by Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski on Friday, who confirmed that police questioning of Marius had now been completed.
Andreas said: "I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number."
© GettyEvidence against the 28-year-old comes from text messages, witness testimonies and police searches.
Marius' defence attorney, Petar Sekulic, said 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".
© GettyDespite the charges, Marius remains free pending a possible trial.
Marius is not a member of the royal family and is not included in the line of succession. His mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is a future queen consort, while his stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, will one day be king.
The case so far
In February, it emerged that Marius was under investigation for allegedly raping TV presenter Linni Meister while she was unconscious at Skaugum Castle after a basement party at the royal residence in Oslo.
Police have wanted to question Marius after reportedly finding three videos and more than ten photos of an incident in the basement on his laptop.
© Ragnar SingsaasAlthough a publication initially reported that Marius wasn't co-operating with the police in regard to the allegation, on Friday, Andreas confirmed that the 28-year-old had co-operated during police questioning.
Back in August 2024, he was taken into police custody after allegedly attacking a woman in her 20s "psychologically and physically". A month later, he was re-arrested for allegedly violating a restraining order following "an incident in an apartment".
© Andreas Fadum/ShutterstockAccording to the Spanish news agency EFE, the Oslo Police confirmed that Marius was detained and released with more charges after he allegedly contacted one of the victims from a hidden phone number, despite the imposed restraining order.
At the time of his first arrest, Marius said: "Last weekend something happened that should never have happened. I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in an apartment in the intoxication of alcohol and cocaine after an argument.
© Shutterstock"The drug use and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened in the apartment at Frogner on the night of Sunday last weekend. I want to be responsible for what I have done, and will explain myself truthfully to the police."
"For me, the most important thing is to say sorry to my girlfriend. She deserved neither what happened that night, nor the extreme pressure from both the Norwegian and foreign press afterwards. Being pursued by photographers and journalists at a time like this I know has been tough to stand in."
