Norway's Marius Borg Høiby charged with 32 offences including rape

# Norway's Marius Borg Høiby charged with 32 offences including rape

On event date 2025-08-18, Norwegian prosecutors charged Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, with 32 offences including four counts of rape and several acts of violence.

The evidence package says the indictment also includes domestic abuse, violence, disturbing the peace, vandalism, violation of restraining orders and secretly filming women’s genitals without their consent. Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo said the maximum penalty for the offences listed is up to 10 years in prison.

The case is significant not only because of the number of charges but because of the defendant’s family connection. Høiby is the son of the crown princess from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon. The prosecutor explicitly said royal status should not result in more lenient or harsher treatment than any similar defendant would receive.

According to the evidence, the four rape counts relate to incidents alleged to have taken place in 2018, 2023 and 2024, with one alleged after police had already begun investigating him. That detail adds to the seriousness of the indictment because it suggests some of the alleged crimes may have occurred while scrutiny was already under way.

Høiby had already admitted assault and vandalism in the August 2024 episode that led to his arrest. In a statement issued days later, he said he had acted under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument, and that he had been struggling with mental health problems and substance abuse. The source material does not say whether those explanations will factor into the trial, but they form part of the public background.

The case has drawn attention in Norway because Høiby grew up inside the royal household, though he has no official public role. That makes him a public figure without the normal institutional responsibilities of royal office, which may amplify scrutiny without changing the legal case itself.

The evidence package does not state when the trial will begin. What it does establish is that the indictment is broad, the alleged conduct spans several years, and prosecutors see the case as serious enough to warrant a long potential sentence.

For the Norwegian royal family, the charges create a reputational burden and a legal storyline that will not disappear quickly. For prosecutors, the case now moves from investigation to formal court process. For the public, the main point is that the defendant’s family ties do not alter the charges or the maximum penalty described by prosecutors.