Court hears police believe son of Norway’s crown princess sexually assaulted woman at party

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to four counts of rape on the opening day of his trial, which involves multiple charges and has embarrassed the Norwegian royal family while reigniting debate over sexual violence in the country.

Standing before a packed courtroom at Oslo District Court, Høiby also denied allegations including abuse in close relationships and secretly filming women’s genitals without their consent.

The case comes at a time of intense scrutiny for Norway’s royal family. Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has also faced criticism over past links to the late convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Testifying from a separate room, the first alleged victim told the court she had attended a party at Skaugum, the official residence of Høiby’s stepfather. The woman, whose identity is protected under court order, said she briefly engaged in consensual sex with Høiby after he followed her into a bathroom, but quickly stopped and returned to the party.

She said she had no memory of events that followed. Later, police contacted her and said they had discovered videos on Høiby’s computer that allegedly showed him touching her while she was lying on a sofa and unable to consent. Under Norwegian law, rape can be defined as occurring with or without sexual intercourse.

Asked by prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø how it felt to testify, the woman said appearing in court was “the last thing” she wanted and described the experience as “extremely uncomfortable.”

“It’s unfair that I’ve been dragged into this,” she said. “I’m sitting here shaking.”

Earlier, Henriksbø emphasized that Høiby’s royal connections should not affect the legal process. “The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. Nonetheless, he must be treated the same as any other person charged with similar crimes — neither more harshly nor more leniently,” he told the court.

He added that prosecutions for serious crimes do not depend on a victim’s request. “It is society’s responsibility to prosecute grave offences, regardless of whether the victim wishes it,” he said, noting that in several cases it was not the victim who initially reported the alleged crimes.

Høiby’s defense lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs, described him as innocent. “The starting point must be that Marius is not guilty,” she said.

She told the court that outside speculation was irrelevant and that only evidence presented during the trial should matter. Andenæs said she was not accusing any alleged victims of dishonesty but argued that all had previously engaged in consensual sexual relations with Høiby before the incidents described in the indictment.

She also pointed to what she described as an environment marked by heavy substance use. “Not only alcohol, but also illegal drugs such as cocaine and others,” she said, adding that sexual activity was a prominent aspect of the social setting.

The woman giving evidence disputed that characterization, saying she had consumed some red wine and a few drinks on the night in question, “but nothing more than that.”

Høiby, who was arrested on Sunday and held in custody on additional charges including assault, knife threats and breaching a restraining order, is facing a total of 38 charges.

He has pleaded guilty to several offences, including sexually offensive behavior, a serious drug-related charge, violation of a restraining order and multiple driving offences. He entered partial guilty pleas to charges of serious bodily harm, reckless conduct and another restraining order violation. His responses to two charges — bodily injury and two counts of property damage — were not audible in court.

The trial is expected to last seven weeks and is being heard by a panel of three judges.

Despite the scandals surrounding Høiby and his mother, the Norwegian royal family continues to enjoy broad public support. On Tuesday, lawmakers rejected a proposal to abolish the monarchy, a motion traditionally introduced by republican groups every few years.