Norway Royal Son Faces Rape Trial

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has begun in Oslo district court. He faces 38 charges, including raping four women and other serious offenses, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The first woman to give evidence testified that she had consensual sex with Høiby for a few seconds before she stopped it, but then had no memory of what happened next. The trial has drawn attention due to Høiby's connection to the royal family and the recent scandal surrounding his mother's correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The defense counsel argued that Høiby had been subjected to prejudicial treatment from the media, while the prosecutor stated that he would be treated no differently than any other Norwegian. The trial is expected to last seven weeks, with Høiby spending the first four weeks in custody.

The eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Marius Borg Høiby, has been arrested on new charges of assault, threats with a knife, and violation of a restraining order, just before his trial on charges including rape. Høiby was already due to go on trial on 38 counts, including rape, abuse, and violence against former partners. The royal family is facing embarrassment due to Høiby's case and renewed scrutiny over Mette-Marit's contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.

The trial of Marius Borg Hoiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has begun in Oslo. Hoiby faces 38 charges, including four counts of rape, abuse, assault, and drug possession. He denied the most serious charges but pleaded guilty to several driving offenses, a drugs offense, and breaking a restraining order. New allegations have been made against him, and police are seeking to keep him in custody for four weeks. The trial is scheduled to last until March 19.