Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, has been formally charged with 32 offences, including four counts of rape, prosecutors confirmed on Monday.
Public prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo, said the 27-year-old has been under investigation since his arrest on August 4, 2024, on suspicion of assaulting a girlfriend, according to AFP.
The charges now filed include domestic abuse against a former partner, several acts of violence, disturbing the peace, vandalism, and repeated violations of restraining orders against another former partner.
Hoiby is also accused of secretly filming the genitals of several women without their consent.
“The maximum penalty for the offences listed in the indictment is imprisonment of up to 10 years,” AFP quoted Henriksbo as saying.
“These are very serious acts that can leave lasting scars and destroy lives.”
Addressing Hoiby’s royal background, the prosecutor stressed, “The fact that Marius Borg Hoiby is a member of the royal family should, of course, not mean that he should be treated more lightly or more severely than if similar acts had been committed by others.”
The four alleged rapes for which Hoiby is charged are said to have occurred in 2018, 2023, and 2024, with the last case taking place after the police investigation had already begun.
Hoiby has reportedly admitted to assault and vandalism in connection with the August 2024 incident that led to his arrest.
In a public statement issued 10 days after his detention, Hoiby acknowledged that he acted “under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument,” adding that he had long struggled with “mental troubles” and substance abuse.
Hoiby rose to public attention at the age of four when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon.
Though raised within the royal household alongside his half-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 19, Hoiby holds no official public role. (SaharaReporters)
