OSLO: The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess, suspected of two rapes, was released from custody on Wednesday, police said, adding however that he was now suspected of another sex crime.

Police did not provide details of the new allegation against 27-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby, who was born of a relationship before Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s marriage to Crown Prince Haakon.

He was arrested on Nov 18 on suspicion of rape, and two days later a judge ordered him held in custody for a week after a second rape suspicion emerged. Police said the alleged rapes both involved a “sexual act without intercourse” where the victims were in a condition that made them “unable to resist”.

Police said on Wednesday they were not requesting an extension of his custody and he was therefore released. “As of now, we can no longer see that there is a risk of evidence tampering,” police said in a statement.

Hoiby’s lawyer, Oyvind Bratlien, said his client’s release showed the evidence against him had “significantly weakened”.

The court decision to hold him in custody was “wrong” and the result of “catastrophic misjudgments”, the lawyer told Norwegian news agency NTB.

In addition to the sex crimes, Hoiby is also suspected of physical abuse against three ex-girlfriends and violation of a restraining order. Restraining orders have been issued against him regarding two other women.

Hoiby was raised by the royal couple alongside his step-siblings Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18. Unlike them however he has no official public role.

His trouble with the law came to light when he was accused of bodily harm following a late-night row on Aug 4 at a girlfriend’s Oslo apartment. Norwegian media reported that police found a knife stuck in one of the woman’s bedroom walls.

In a statement to Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Aug 14, Hoiby admitted causing bodily harm and material damage “while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument”. He said he had suffered with “mental troubles” and struggled “for a long time with substance abuse”.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024