Son of Norway’s crown princess denies rape as trial opens

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Briefing Summary

AI-generated

NEWSAR · AI

Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape as his trial began in Oslo District Court on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The trial has brought scrutiny to the royal family, already facing embarrassment due to links to Jeffrey Epstein. Hoiby faces 38 counts in total, including domestic violence, assault, and drug possession, stemming from alleged incidents between 2018 and 2024. He was arrested on Sunday for new accusations of assault, threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order, leading the court to detain him for up to a month due to the risk of reoffending. While Hoiby holds no official royal title, the trial has shaken the Norwegian royals.

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Article analysis

Model · rule-based

Framing

Legal & Judicial

Human Interest

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0.90 / 1.00

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Key claims

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The court agreed to keep Hoiby in detention for up to a month based on what it said was his risk of reoffending.

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Sekulic has previously said Hoiby denies all charges of sexual abuse as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.

quotePetar Sekulic

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A conviction on the most serious of the charges could result in at least 10 years in prison.

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Hoiby faces 38 counts, including domestic violence, assault and drug possession.

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Marius Borg Hoiby pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape.

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Full report

2 min read · 347 words

Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, faces 38 counts centred on alleged abuse of women as his mother regrets Epstein links.Published On 3 Feb 2026The son of Norway’s crown princess has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape as a trial that has brought fresh scrutiny to a royal family already embarrassed by links to Jeffrey Epstein opened.Marius Borg Hoiby entered his plea on Tuesday as proceedings got under way at the Oslo District Court. A conviction on the most serious of the charges he faces could result in at least 10 years in prison.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Son of Norway’s crown princess charged with rape, domestic violencelist 2 of 4Modi to Kevin Rudd: How Epstein files set off a storm far beyond the USlist 3 of 4Why UK’s Prince Andrew lost his royal titlelist 4 of 4UK police to review misconduct claims after Mandelson’s leaks to Epsteinend of listThe son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, Hoiby faces 38 counts, which also include domestic violence, assault and drug possession.The 29-year-old has no official royal title or role, but the trial has shaken Norway’s royals. Parts of the trial will take place behind closed doors, the court has said.Hoiby was indicted in August after multiple arrests throughout 2024 but was free pending trial until he was arrested on Sunday over new accusations of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.Defence lawyer Petar Sekulic said the latest arrest followed an alleged “incident” involving another person but declined to give details. The court agreed to keep Hoiby in detention for up to a month based on what it said was his risk of reoffending.Hoiby is accused of four rapes from 2018 to 2024, violence and threats against a former partner from 2022 to 2023 and two acts of violence against another partner along with violations of a restraining order.Sekulic has previously said Hoiby “denies all charges of sexual abuse as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence”.

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