Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son, Prince Marius Borg Høiby, has been charged with four counts of rape.
On Monday, August 19, the stepson to heir to the throne, Prince Haakon, appeared in court after more than a year-long police investigation.
The disgraced Norwegian royal, 28, is accused of 32 offences including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm.
Sturla Henriksbø, state attorney, read the indictment, "This case is very serious. Rape and violence in close relationships are very serious acts that can leave lasting traces and destroy lives.”
The prosecutor continued, "The fact that Marius Borg Hoiby is a member of the royal family should, of course, not mean that he should be treated more lightly or more severely than if similar acts had been committed by others."
Marius Borg has been charged with one count of rape involving intercourse, two without intercourse, four cases of sexual assault, and two of bodily harm.
Mette-Marit’s son is also charged with abuse against his ex-partner Nora Haukland and acting violently towards another former girlfriend.
He may face ten years in prison after a six-week trial in January next year.
The disgraced prince has no official public role. He was raised alongside Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 19, but now lives separately in a house near the family estate.
