The criminal case against Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has become one of the most damaging scandals to engulf Norway’s monarchy in decades—raising serious questions about privilege, accountability, and how long warning signs were ignored.
Although the palace insists Høiby holds “no official royal role,” he has spent his entire adult life moving inside royal circles, elite social networks, and institutional protection that ordinary Norwegians do not enjoy. That context matters.
1. Rape and Violent Crime Allegations
In August 2025, Norwegian prosecutors filed a sweeping indictment accusing Høiby of 32 criminal offenses, including some of the most serious crimes in Norwegian law.
The charges include:
Rape of four women, allegedly occurring between 2018 and 2024
Domestic violence, assault, threats, vandalism, and restraining-order violations
Allegations that some victims were incapable of resisting, including situations following prior consensual contact
Prosecutors say digital evidence supports several of the accusations
Høiby has denied most of the rape and violent assault charges.
The trial is scheduled to begin February 3, 2026, in Oslo District Court, and is expected to last several weeks.
What has disturbed many observers is not only the volume of allegations, but the time span—suggesting years of alleged behavior without meaningful intervention, despite repeated police contact.
2. New Narcotics Charges Add to the Pattern
In January 2026, prosecutors expanded the indictment again.
New charges include:
A serious narcotics offense tied to the alleged transport of approximately 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in July 2020
Høiby has admitted to transporting the drugs, claiming it was unpaid and a one-time act
Additional counts involving restraining-order violations and dangerous traffic offenses, including high-speed motorcycle driving
With these additions, Norwegian media report up to 38 separate criminal counts—a staggering number for anyone, let alone someone raised under the shadow of the crown.
3. The Royal Family’s Silence—and Its Consequences
The Royal Court has largely responded with silence and carefully worded statements about “respecting the judicial process.” Critics argue that this restraint looks less like dignity and more like institutional avoidance.
Key concerns raised by the public include:
Why repeated arrests and investigations since 2024 did not trigger earlier intervention
Whether royal proximity discouraged tougher scrutiny
How much the palace knew—and when
Whether victims felt intimidated by the accused’s royal connections
Norwegian authorities insist Høiby is being treated like any other defendant. But public trust has been shaken by the perception that royal adjacency delays consequences, even when allegations pile up.
4. Potential Prison Time
If convicted, the combined charges—rape, violent crime, and serious narcotics offenses—could result in a lengthy prison sentence, potentially a decade or more, depending on final verdicts and sentencing decisions.
For a monarchy that trades heavily on moral authority and public trust, the implications go far beyond one defendant.
Bigger Than One Man
This case is no longer just about Marius Borg Høiby. It is about:
A royal family that embraced the language of modernity while failing to confront internal rot
A justice system now under pressure to prove that bloodlines don’t soften the law
Victims who allege years of harm while the accused moved freely within elite protection
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