Norway Crown Princess’s Son Pleads Not Guilty to Four Counts of Rape as Trial Opens

The high-profile trial of Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, started on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with Hoiby pleading no longer to blame to 4 counts of rape. This case has despatched shockwaves via Norway’s royal circle of relatives and captured multinational consideration because of its severe nature and the prominence of the ones concerned.

Key Points

Background

Marius Borg Hoiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a prior courting sooner than her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon. The 29-year-old has been within the public eye for years, however by no means sooner than has he confronted such severe allegations. The fees in opposition to him come with a couple of counts of rape, attack in opposition to ex-girlfriends, and a major drug offense involving the transportation of three.5 kilograms of marijuana.

The case got here to gentle after Hoiby used to be arrested on August 4, 2024, on suspicion of assaulting his female friend. During the investigation into that incident, government exposed a string of different suspected offenses, together with the alleged rapes of 4 ladies whilst they had been drowsing or handed out under the influence of alcohol. Some of those incidents had been reportedly filmed through Hoiby.

Analysis

This trial represents probably the most important scandals to hit the Norwegian monarchy in fresh historical past. While the royal circle of relatives stays widely in style, thank you in large part to King Harald and Queen Sonja, each 88, who’re revered as unifying figures, this example has no doubt tarnished its popularity.

The timing of the trial is especially noteworthy, because it coincides with a vote in Norway’s parliament on whether or not to take care of the monarchy. While the monarchy is predicted to be retained through a large majority, the scandal has raised questions concerning the establishment’s long run and its skill to take care of public accept as true with.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit unearths herself in an especially tough place, torn between her function as a mom and her long run function as queen. The 52-year-old has been coping with her personal well being demanding situations, affected by an incurable lung illness that makes respiring tough and might require a dangerous lung transplant at some point. Additionally, she has confronted harsh complaint in fresh days over her alleged hyperlinks to convicted intercourse wrongdoer Jeffrey Epstein, with unsealed US paperwork revealing her it seems that shut friendship with him sooner than his loss of life in jail in 2019.

Practical Advice

For the ones following this example, you have to remember the fact that Hoiby is presumed blameless till confirmed to blame in a courtroom of legislation. The trial will supply a platform for each the prosecution and protection to provide their proof and arguments.

For people who will have skilled identical eventualities, it is a very powerful to grasp that give a boost to is to be had. In Norway, organizations just like the Crisis Center for Sexual Abuse (Kripos) and the Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) be offering help to survivors of sexual attack and abuse.

It’s additionally value noting that the identities of Hoiby’s alleged sufferers, aside from his ex-girlfriend Nora Haukland, can’t be disclosed because of privateness regulations protective sufferers of sexual crimes.

FAQ

Conclusion

The trial of Marius Borg Hoiby represents a vital second for the Norwegian royal circle of relatives and the rustic as a complete. As the court cases spread over the approaching weeks, the sector will likely be observing intently to peer how justice is served on this high-profile case. The consequence can have far-reaching implications no longer just for Hoiby in my view but in addition for the way forward for the Norwegian monarchy and its courting with the general public.

As this example continues to expand, it serves as a stark reminder of the significance of due procedure and the presumption of innocence in our justice gadget. It additionally highlights the advanced demanding situations confronted through public figures when private {and professional} lives intersect within the public eye.

Sources

– Le Monde with AFP. (2026, February 3). Norway crown princess’s son pleads no longer to blame to 4 counts of rape as trial opens. Retrieved from https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/02/03/norway-crown-princess-s-son-pleads-not-guilty-to-four-counts-of-rape-as-trial-opens_6750082_4.html

– Norwegian Royal Family Official Website

– Norwegian Police (Kripos) Press Releases

– TV2 Norway Poll Results (February 2026)

– Crisis Center for Sexual Abuse (Kripos) – Norway

– Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS)