Oslo, Nov. 27, (dpa/GNA) – Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norwegian princess Mette-Marit, has been released after spending a week in custody on suspicion of committing sex offences.
Police announced on Wednesday morning that they would not be seeking further pre-trial detention for the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
At present, there is no longer any recognisable danger that evidence could be removed, they said. They also announced that they are investigating a further possible sex offence, without giving any further details.
Høiby’s defence lawyer, Øyvind Bratlien, told broadcaster NRK that his client would be released during the course of the day, and asserted that it had been wrong to put Høiby in pre-trial detention at all.
Høiby had been remanded in custody for a week on Wednesday last week. Prior to that, new allegations against the 27-year-old had emerged regarding two alleged sex offences – they are the most serious accusations against him to date and could potentially result in several years in prison. Høiby has denied these allegations.
Since the summer, several accusations have been made against him, including assaulting ex-partners and causing property damage, some of which he has admitted to.
Marius Borg Høiby is the oldest son of Mette-Marit and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon. Although he belongs to the royal family, he does not bear the title of prince and is not an official member of the Norwegian royal family.
GNA