The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess has been charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault, the authorities in Oslo said on Friday, concluding a monthslong police investigation that has shaken the country’s royal family.
Marius Borg Hoiby, a son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, has been under police investigation in Oslo since he was arrested in August on charges of bodily harm and damage. He was also arrested in separate cases in September and November, the police said, on suspicion of rape.
The police, who have spent months interviewing witnesses and reviewing “extensive digital material,” said in a news release that they questioned Mr. Borg Hoiby, 28, several times since last fall.
His lawyer, Petar Sekulic, said in an email on Friday that Mr. Borg Hoiby was “taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases — especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence.” He added that Mr. Borg Hoiby has been cooperating with the police and hopes he will be acquitted if he is indicted, Mr. Sekulic said over the phone.
Mr. Borg Hoiby was 4 years old when his mother, Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby, a former waitress, married Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, in 2001. Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s other children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, are second and third in line to succeed their grandfather, King Harald V, 88. Mr. Borg Hoiby holds no title or official duties.
The updated charges against Mr. Borg Hoiby include one count of rape with intercourse, two counts of rape without intercourse and four counts of sexually offensive behavior. Other charges include abuse in close relationships, bodily harm, harassment of a police officer and the violation of restraining orders.
After Mr. Borg Hoiby was arrested in August on charges accusing him of causing bodily harm and damage, he issued an apology to NRK, Norway’s public broadcaster, in which he admitted causing bodily harm and destroying objects in an apartment while he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. He said he would seek treatment for substance abuse.
Prosecutors will determine in the coming months whether Mr. Borg Hoiby will be indicted.
Isabella Kwai contributed reporting.
Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news and other topics.
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