• Marius Borg Hoiby charged with 32 criminal offences, including four rapes.
• The instances of rape involved assaults on women while they were asleep.
• Hoiby faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Marius Borg Hoiby, the 28-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been charged with a total of 32 criminal offences, including four counts of rape and multiple acts of violence. Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo stated that Hoiby is also charged with domestic abuse and filming women's genitals without their consent, with evidence comprising videos and photographs. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for the most serious charges, according to SCMP, India Times, and Dawn.

Hoiby’s alleged offences are reported to have occurred between 2018 and 2024, and he has been under investigation since his arrest for assaulting a girlfriend. Public prosecutor Henriksbo revealed that in three instances, the alleged rapes occurred after consensual sexual encounters earlier in the day. The charged incidents have drawn significant public attention due to Hoiby's royal connections, yet he is expected to receive no preferential treatment, according to Al Jazeera and BBC.

Following his previous arrest in August 2023, which was linked to an assault, Hoiby stated he acted under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. His statements suggest a history of substance abuse, further complicating his legal issues. Analysts have described his life as a "gilded cage," balancing between royal privilege and troubling personal conduct, as detailed in Reuters and HuffPost.

The trial is scheduled to begin in January 2025 and is expected to last approximately six weeks. Although Hoiby plans to plead not guilty to the most serious charges, he is likely to accept responsibility for lesser charges. Crown Prince Haakon has publicly acknowledged the difficulty of the situation while affirming the continuation of royal duties during the ongoing legal proceedings, according to SCMP, India Times, and BBC.