Prosecutors in Norway have detailed four charges of rape against the son of Norway's crown princess in the biggest case to come to court here for years. Marius Borg Høiby appeared in court to deny the most serious of the 38 offences he is accused of. The court also heard evidence from a woman he is alleged to have raped in 2018. He is not a member of the royal family himself. His lawyer said he was a young man who deserved a fair trial and condemned press treatment of him. The trial comes against a backdrop of almost daily revelations surrounding him and his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is facing increasing criticism after it emerged she was cited in hundreds of emails showing extensive contacts with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mette-Marit, who married the crown prince when her son was four, has admitted showing poor judgement, but the fallout has already begun, with one organization dropping her as patron for its annual prize. On the first day of the seven-week trial which began in courtroom 250 at Oslo district court, her son wore an ordinary sweater, white T-shirt, and olive-green trousers, his blond hair cut short. He later removed the sweater and sat in court in a simple T-shirt. Heavy court restrictions have been imposed on the trial, with a ban on any photos of the defendant inside or outside court.
The prosecutor set out details of the rape charges, alleging that the first took place during an after-party in December 2018 in the basement of the defendant's parents' house when he was 21. Each of the charges involves consent issues, mainly concerning cases where the alleged victims were incapacitated. The case commands significant attention due to its implications for Norway's royal family and the pressures of public scrutiny.
Mette-Marit, who married the crown prince when her son was four, has admitted showing poor judgement, but the fallout has already begun, with one organization dropping her as patron for its annual prize. On the first day of the seven-week trial which began in courtroom 250 at Oslo district court, her son wore an ordinary sweater, white T-shirt, and olive-green trousers, his blond hair cut short. He later removed the sweater and sat in court in a simple T-shirt. Heavy court restrictions have been imposed on the trial, with a ban on any photos of the defendant inside or outside court.
The prosecutor set out details of the rape charges, alleging that the first took place during an after-party in December 2018 in the basement of the defendant's parents' house when he was 21. Each of the charges involves consent issues, mainly concerning cases where the alleged victims were incapacitated. The case commands significant attention due to its implications for Norway's royal family and the pressures of public scrutiny.
