Most people try to keep a low profile when they are on trial for something as serious as rape. Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norways Crown Princess apparently prefers a different strategy. While already in court facing dozens of allegations, he has managed to collect even more charges. It is like a very dark version of a loyalty card where the only reward is a much longer stay in a cell.
Prosecutors just added reckless behaviour and violating a restraining order to his growing list of legal woes. This brings the total to a whopping 40 charges. He admits to being a bit reckless and breaking the rules about seeing an ex-girlfriend from Oslo’s posh Frogner area. However, he is still drawing the line at the most serious stuff. He denies four counts of rape, even though the prosecution claims some of these acts were filmed while the women were asleep or out cold.
A Growing Rap Sheet
Marius is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, but he does not actually hold a royal title. He is effectively the family’s very public headache. He was first arrested after a messy incident in an Oslo flat where he spoke about his long struggle with mental health and substance issues. Since then, the case has snowballed. We have heard audio recordings of him shouting abuse at his former influencer girlfriend, Nora Haukland, and heard testimony about him allegedly punching and choking her.
His defence team describes him as an “innocent boy” and insists his exes were not living in fear. It is a bold claim for someone who was arrested again just hours before his trial even started in February. The court is now 17 days into what was supposed to be a 28 day trial, but with new charges popping up like bad weeds, the schedule is looking a bit tight.
The Crown’s Biggest Headache
This whole saga has been a nightmare for the Norwegian royals. While the Crown Prince and Princess are busy with official duties, their eldest is busy explaining to a judge why he was found with 3.5 kilograms of marijuana or why he keeps ignoring restraining orders. The state prosecutor is making a point of saying that being related to a princess does not get you a “get out of jail free” card. In Norway, everybody is equal before the law, even if you grew up in a palace.
If the court finds him guilty of the heaviest charges, Marius could be swapping his designer gear for a prison uniform for the next 10 to 16 years. It is a spectacular fall from grace for a man who has spent his life on the edge of the royal spotlight.
It turns out that being royal adjacent does not actually give you permission to behave like a character from a gritty crime drama. If the judge decides to throw the book at him, it is going to be a very thick book indeed.
Related topic: Europe
