Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has commented on the allegations against his stepson, saying they are “serious.”
Prince spoke briefly to Norwegian broadcaster NRK about Jamaica, which he is currently visiting as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
The eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 27-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, was detained by police on Monday on suspicion of sexual assault.
According to a Norwegian police statement, the offence of the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne, is “sexual contact with a person who was unconscious or otherwise unable to resist contact.”
Borg Høiby, who has had previous trouble with the law, pleaded not guilty. According to his lawyer, it was law enforcement, not one of the alleged victims, who made the preliminary accusation. Crown Prince Haakon’s stepson was detained while he was in the car with the victim in another of his cases – the one in which Borg Høiby was detained in August this year.
Crown Prince Haakon said he is with everyone involved in the case and that he has confidence in the work of the police and the Justice Department. He said he would prefer to be at home right now. He said:
“I would have liked to have been home with Mette-Marit today. I miss her.”
The couple were not told in advance that Marius would be arrested. The Norwegian royal court has not made an official statement.
