Future King of Norway Crown Prince Haakon Comme...

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is addressing the arrest of his stepson, Marius Borg Høiby, on suspicion of rape

Published Time: 21.11.2024 - 22:31:06 Modified Time: 21.11.2024 - 22:31:06

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is addressing the arrest of his stepson, Marius Borg Høiby, on suspicion of rape.

On Nov. 19, Crown Prince Haakon spoke about the arrest of his stepson, 27, the day prior. Crown Prince Haakon is Marius' stepfather through his marriage to Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Mette-Marit welcomed her son Marius during a relationship that preceded her 2001 marriage to Haakon, and Marius does not have a royal role within the monarchy.

Speaking to NRK during his working trip to Jamaica, Crown Prince Haakon, 51, described the situation as "a serious accusation."

"It is a serious accusation that Marius faces. Today, of course, we are thinking of all those affected," Haakon said in a video translated into English by NBC News. "The police must also be allowed to do their job, and the judiciary must be allowed to do their job."

"I have confidence that they will do that in a good way," he continued. "It is also true of course that this affects, to a large extent, all of us who are around."

"Perhaps I will be allowed to add that I would like to be at home with Mette today," Crown Prince Haakon said. "I miss her."

Speaking to NRK from Jamaica again on Nov. 20, the outlet reported that Crown Prince Haakon said, "We as a family and as parents have, of course, been very concerned that Marius should get help."

Crown Prince Haakon is the son of King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway and follows his father in the line of succession to the throne. The royal was in Jamaica for a three-day trip in his longtime role as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme when he broke his silence about his stepson's arrest.

The Royal House of Norway did not immedi -

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ately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Earlier this week, the Oslo Police District announced that Marius was arrested on Nov. 18 on suspicion of rape, after expanding the charges against him.

In a statement issued on Nov. 19, and translated into English, authorities said that Marius was arrested on suspicion of violating the criminal code "which concerns sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act."

"What police can say about the rape is that it concerns a sexual act without intercourse. The victim is said to have been unable to resist the act," it continued.

The statement said that Marius was arrested in a car with "the victim from the Frogner incident," while police simultaneously searched and seized his home. He was detained in Greenland.

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On Nov. 20, NRK reported that Marius has been charged with two rapes, and that he denies criminal guilt for both. According to the outlet, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, he was remanded in custody for a week with a ban on letters and visits.

PEOPLE has contacted the Norwegian Police Service for further comment.

According to NRK, there are allegedly six victims involved in the criminal case against Marius. He was first reportedly arrested in early August after allegedly acting violent toward an ex-girlfriend at her apartment in Frogner.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.