The son of Norway’s crown princess denied on Wednesday that videos on his phone showed acts of rape, as he broke down during his first day of testimony in his trial for rape and domestic violence, a case that has shaken the embattled royal family.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, said his upbringing in the public eye since he was a toddler had led him to crave drink and sex.
He could face years in prison if found guilty of the most serious of the 38 charges against him.
On Tuesday, the first day of his trial, he pleaded not guilty to the most serious charges of rape and domestic violence but acknowledged partial guilt – a plea allowed under Norwegian law – for aggravated assault and reckless behavior. He also admitted lesser charges, including driving too fast.
The trial has transfixed Norway at a time when his mother the crown princess also faces fresh scrutiny over revelations about her ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Continue reading the complete article on the original source
