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Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was taken into custody just days ahead of the commencement of his rape trial.
Høiby, the step-son of Crown Prince Haakon, was apprehended on February 1 on charges that include assault, making threats with a knife, and breaching a restraining order, according to a statement released by the Oslo police and reported by The Associated Press.
Authorities are seeking to keep Høiby in custody for a period of four weeks, citing concerns that he may re-offend if released.
This arrest unfolds as the 29-year-old, who does not hold any royal title or official duties, is set to face trial on February 3. This trial stems from an indictment issued in August, which charges him with rape, domestic abuse against a former partner, transporting marijuana, and secretly recording women without their consent.
Høiby has refuted the most severe allegations. The charges include four instances of rape between 2018 and November 2024, as well as accusations of violence and threats against a former partner during 2022 and 2023, and two additional violent incidents involving another partner.
If convicted in the trial, which is expected to last an estimated seven weeks, Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison, per The Associated Press.
His attorney Petar Sekulic previously asserted that Høiby “denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.”
Sekulic said his defense team is expected to provide “a detailed account of his version of events” as the trial gets underway.
The recent arrest and trial comes as the Norwegian royal family is already facing public scrutiny. Høiby’s mom Mette-Marit has been forced to speak out after her name appeared close to 1,000 times in the latest batch of unsealed Jeffrey Epstein files, released by the U.S. Department of Justice, per The Guardian.
In the unsealed documents, Mette-Marit appears to refer to the convicted sex offender as “very charming” and “such a sweetheart.”
The documents also included a email exchange between Epstein and Mette-Marit, confirming that she borrowed his Palm Beach, Florida property for several days in early 2013, years after he pleaded guilty to state level charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18.
In response to the unsealed fillings, Mette-Marit—who the palace said ended her contact with him in 2014—admitted that she “must take responsibility” for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly.
“I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear. I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all,” she said, per The Associated Press. “It is simply embarrassing.”
She also voiced “deep sympathy and solidarity” for his victims.