The son of Norway’s crown princess to be released from custody in rape allegations

BERLIN (AP) — The eldest son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit is to be released from custody after his arrest last week on rape allegations, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.

At the same time, however, Oslo police began an investigation into a new alleged sexual offense for which he has not been charged, NRK reported. Details about the new allegations were not immediately available.

Marius Borg H?iby is the stepson of the heir to the Norwegian throne, Crown Prince Haakon, and the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship. He has no royal title or official duties.

Borg H?iby was arrested last week in Oslo on a preliminary charge of having had “sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act.” A preliminary charge comes before a formal charge and allows authorities to detain suspects during an investigation.

At the time, police did not say when the alleged rape occurred, but only that “the victim must have been unable to resist the act.” Norwegian media reported that Borg H?iby has denied the accusation.

The royal palace had no comment regarding the allegations, the news agency NTB said.

On Wednesday, police said they would not seek further detention of Borg H?iby because there was no indication that important evidence would be removed, NRK reported.

“This was not surprising. He shouldn’t have been imprisoned at all,” ?yvind Bratlien, H?iby’s defense attorney, told NRK. He said Borg H?iby would likely be released later Wednesday.

On Aug. 4, police officers responded to a disturbance in downtown Oslo and briefly detained Borg H?iby. He faced preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage and was released. Details were unclear but police said there was “a relationship between the suspect and the victim.”

More preliminary charges have since been filed against Borg H?iby, including violating several restraining orders and driving without a valid driver’s license. In all, the cases involve four women and one man.

The case was top news in Norway, where the royals are popular.

Borg H?iby, 27, lives with the royal couple and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.

Norway’s future queen made headlines in 2001 when she married Haakon because she was a single mother who had lived a freewheeling life with a companion who had been convicted on drug charges.