.jpeg)
Police
believe son of Norway’s crown princess sexually assaulted woman at party, court
hears
Marius
Borg Høiby, 29, pleads not guilty to four counts of rape in trial that has
embarrassed the royal family
Miranda
Bryant Nordic correspondent
Tue 3 Feb
2026 12.25 CET
Police
believe the son of Norway’s crown princess sexually assaulted a woman at an
afterparty at a royal residence, a court has heard.
Marius
Borg Høiby, 29, pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape on Tuesday, the first
day of his trial for multiple offences in a legal saga that has embarrassed the
royal family and raised questions over sexual violence in Norway.
Appearing
in front of a packed courtroom at Oslo district court, Høiby also denied
charges including abuse in close relationships and filming women’s genitals
without their knowledge.
The trial
comes at a moment of unprecedented pressure on the Norwegian royal family, with
Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, also facing criticism over her
links with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Taking
the stand in a separate room, the first of Høiby’s alleged victims to give
evidence told the court she had attended a party at Skaugum, the official
residence of Høiby’s stepfather, the crown prince of Norway, and his wife in
2018.
The
woman, whose identity is being concealed under court orders, said she briefly
had sex with Høiby at the party after he followed her into the toilet but had
quickly stopped it and went back to the party.
She had
no memories of what happened later, she said, but was subsequently approached
by police who said they had had found videos on Høiby’s computer allegedly
showing him groping her while she was lying on a sofa and not in a position to
say no. In Norway, rape can be defined as occurring with or without
intercourse.
Asked by
the prosecutor, state attorney Sturla Henriksbø, how it felt to be in the
courtroom, she said it was “the last thing” she wanted and that she found the
experience “incredibly uncomfortable”. “It’s unfair that I’ve been dragged into
it,” she added. “I’m sitting here shaking.”
The lead
prosecutor, Sturla Henriksbø (right), in court on Tuesday. He said that despite
Høiby’s status there should be ‘equality before the law’. Photograph: Ole
Berg-Rusten/Reuters
Earlier,
Henriksbø had said that despite Høiby’s status there should be “equality before
the law”.
“The
defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. He
should still be treated equally like any other person charged with the same
offences. He should not be treated more severely or more leniently because of
those with whom he is related,” he told the court.
“There is
no requirement for a prosecution request from the victims,” he added. “It is
society’s responsibility to prosecute serious crimes, regardless of whether the
victim themself wants it. In several of these cases, it is not the victim who
has come to the police and said: ‘I have been subjected to something
criminal’.”
Høiby’s
defence lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs, described Høiby as “an innocent boy”.
“The starting point must be that Marius is innocent,” she said.
“Now the
case is up for consideration in this courtroom, all information and noise from
the outside is completely irrelevant,” she told the court. “Only what emerges
here has weight.”
She said
she was not accusing any of the alleged victims of “lying about their
experiences”, but that “all the victims have in common that they had voluntary
sex with Marius prior to the circumstances described in the indictment”.
She
added: “It is an environment with a lot of substance abuse. Not just alcohol,
but also illegal substances like cocaine and other things. It is also no secret
that sex is a very big part of what happens in the environment. It can be
surprising how it seems to be and the form it takes.”
The woman
testifying, however, said that on the night in question she had drunk some red
wine and a few drinks, “but nothing more than that”.
Høiby,
who was arrested on Sunday and remanded in custody on new charges of assault,
making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order, faces 38 counts
in the trial.
He
pleaded guilty to some charges, including sexually offensive behaviour, a
serious drug offence, violation of a restraining order and several
driving-related offences. He pleaded partially guilty to serious bodily harm,
reckless behaviour and violation of a restraining order.
His pleas
for two of the charges, bodily injury and two cases of damage, were inaudible.
The trial
is expected to last seven weeks and is being heard by a panel of three judges.
Even amid
the scandals around Høiby and his mother, the royal family remains relatively
popular. On Tuesday a motion to abolish the monarchy, put forward by
republicans by tradition every few years, was rejected by MPs.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário