The eldest son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit is to be released from custody after his arrest last week on rape allegations, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.
At the same time, however, Oslo police began an investigation into a new alleged sexual offence for which he has not been charged, NRK reported. Details about the new allegations were not immediately available.
Marius Borg Høiby is the stepson of the heir to the Norwegian throne, Crown Prince Haakon, and the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship. He has no royal title or official duties.
Borg Høiby was arrested last week in Oslo on a preliminary charge of having had “sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act.” A preliminary charge comes before a formal charge and allows authorities to detain suspects during an investigation.
At the time, police did not say when the alleged rape occurred, but only that “the victim must have been unable to resist the act.” Norwegian media reported that Borg Høiby has denied the accusation.
The royal palace had no comment regarding the allegations, the news agency NTB said.
On Wednesday, police said they would not seek further detention of Borg Høiby because there was no indication that important evidence would be removed, NRK reported.
“This was not surprising. He shouldn’t have been imprisoned at all,” Øyvind Bratlien, Høiby’s defence attorney, told NRK. He said Borg Høiby would likely be released later Wednesday.
On Aug. 4, police officers responded to a disturbance in downtown Oslo and briefly detained Borg Høiby. He faced preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage and was released. Details were unclear but police said there was “a relationship between the suspect and the victim.”
More preliminary charges have since been filed against Borg Høiby, including violating several restraining orders and driving without a valid driver’s licence. In all, the cases involve four women and one man.
The case was top news in Norway, where the royals are popular.
Borg Høiby, 27, lives with the royal couple and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Norway’s future queen made headlines in 2001 when she married Haakon because she was a single mother who had lived a freewheeling life with a companion who had been convicted on drug charges.
Resources for sexual assault survivors in Canada
If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.
A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found on the website for the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres.
Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.
National Residential School Crisis Line: +1 866 925 4419
24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 833 900 1010
Trans Lifeline: +1 877 330 6366
Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: +1 844 750 1648
Read about your rights as a victim here.