Norwegian Royal Family Member Faces Serious Sexual Assault Charges
The ongoing trial of Marius Borg Hoiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has entered its second week with dramatic testimony and starkly conflicting accounts of alleged sexual assaults. Hoiby, who is also the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, faces a total of 38 charges, including multiple counts of rape involving four different women.
Defendant Denies Allegations During Emotional Testimony
During his court appearance on Tuesday, Hoiby directly addressed one of the most serious allegations against him. "I don't have sex with women who are asleep," he told the Oslo District Court, responding to claims that he assaulted a woman while she was unconscious. The defendant pleaded not guilty to all major charges of rape and domestic violence, though he has admitted to several lesser offenses.
If convicted on the most serious charges, Hoiby could face up to 16 years in prison. The trial has attracted significant attention both in Norway and internationally due to the defendant's royal connections and the nature of the allegations.
Victim Testimony Describes Traumatic Experience
Earlier in the week, a second alleged victim provided detailed testimony about an incident she described as her "worst nightmare." The woman, who met Hoiby through the dating app Tinder, told the court they initially engaged in consensual sex during an after-party in Norway's Lofoten Islands in October 2023.
"I remember waking up when he was already underway," she testified. "I thought, 'I don't understand how someone can have sex with someone who's sleeping.'" The woman described dissociating during the alleged assault, saying she kept her eyes closed "so I wouldn't have to take part in my own assault."
Prosecution Presents Digital Evidence
Prosecutors have submitted several pieces of digital evidence to support their case. This includes a five-second video taken from Hoiby's phone that allegedly shows the woman asleep during the encounter. Data from the woman's fitness watch was also presented as evidence that she was asleep at the time of the alleged assault.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo emphasized that the video evidence demonstrates the woman was unconscious and therefore unable to provide consent. The alleged victim testified that she was filmed without her knowledge or permission.
Pattern of Allegations Emerges
According to prosecutors, all four alleged rapes followed a similar pattern. They claim the incidents occurred after consensual sexual encounters, often following evenings of heavy drinking when the women were allegedly incapacitated and unable to defend themselves.
Last week, the first alleged victim testified that she believed she had been drugged at an after-party at the crown prince's family residence outside Oslo in December 2018. She stated she was "100%" certain about being drugged before the alleged assault.
Defense Maintains Innocence
Hoiby's defense team argues that their client "perceived all of the acts as perfectly normal and consensual sexual relations." During his testimony, Hoiby questioned why he would suddenly change his behavior, asking the court, "If we had sex three or four times before, and I woke her up each time, why the hell would I have had sex with her without waking her the last time?"
The defendant maintained that the woman was awake during their encounter, though he corrected himself during testimony, changing his statement from "when I had sex with her" to "when we had sex together."
The trial continues in Oslo with additional testimony expected in the coming weeks. The case has sparked broader conversations about consent, sexual assault, and accountability, particularly involving high-profile individuals.
