Marius Borg Høiby News & Current Events Part 1: December 2023 -

[hereditarytitles]

I can only express my sympathy for the NRF in such difficult times, both events must be so worrisome for them.

 

[moby]

During the stay, the 27-year-old allegedly subjected the woman to violence and damaged several objects.
According to VG's information, the police have received information that the violence consisted of punches and strangulation - while the damage should include a knife that was stuck in the wall, a broken lamp and broken glass.
- The police do not have information that the woman has suffered serious injuries, but it will be part of the investigation to map out the extent of the victim's injuries, writes the Oslo police district in a press release on Tuesday morning.

Holy--! Somehow despite the possibilities and the seriousness of the reporting around the issue, my brain still did not consider that it could be this bad! I hope the victim gets all the help and support she can get, and that one day she looks back at this point in her life and is able to process it well; that Marius expresses remorse, and understands he is NOT a poor little rich boy, he is a privileged grown man who has been given influence by some weird twist of fate and who can do so much good if he so wishes; and that his parents make no excuses for him and double down on making sure he becomes a better human being.

 

[LadyFinn]

The victim's friend reported the violent incident to the police on the night of Sunday 4 August, the police prosecutor, Henriette Taxt Røstadli, confirms to Nettavisen.
- The report to the police was made via the victim's girlfriend, who was also present in the apartment when the police arrived.
According to what the police know, only the victim was present in the apartment when the violent incident allegedly took place.
Røstadli also confirms that it was Utrykningsenheten that arrested Høiby. Why, she will not comment. She also does not want to say whether it was ordered to be armed by the police.
(..)

Pågrepet av spesialenhet: Dette vil ikke politiet svare på

Nekter å si noe om vurderingene som ble gjort da Marius Borg Høiby skulle pågripes.

www.nettavisen.no

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken to the offended woman after the incident with her son Marius Borg Høiby. The Palace confirms this to Nettavisen.
- We do not want to go into details as it is private, writes press contact Sara Svanemyr in an email.
It is not known who initiated the conversation.
Nettavisen's royal house expert, Tove Taalesen, thinks it's nice to see a reaction from the crown princess, who is a caregiver with a distinct maternal instinct.

Mette-Marit har snakket med den fornærmede i Høiby-saken

– Det er privat, sier Slottet.

www.nettavisen.no

 

[Muhler]

Se og Hør writes that this happened at the woman's apartment - and publishes at this week's issue photos of the knife at the bedroom wall, a broken chandelier and others...

Se og Hør publiserer bilder fra åstedet: – Absolutt ikke et syn kongen vil se

Bilder fra leiligheten viser kniv som sitter i veggen, skriver Se og Hør.

www.nettavisen.no

Dagbladet has tried to get a comment from Høiby's defender Øyvind Bratlien on Monday afternoon and evening, but has so far been unsuccessful.
Dagbladet has also asked the defense attorney for the offended woman for a comment on Se og Hør's pictures.
- I am not currently commenting on this case, says Mette Yvonne Larsen, legal aid for the offended woman, to Dagbladet on Monday evening.

Skal vise åstedet

Bilder fra det som skal være leiligheten der Marius Borg Høiby skal ha utøvd vold mot en kvinne, viser rasert inventar, en knust mobil og en kniv i veggen.

www.dagbladet.no

The police tells that they will provide new information in the violence case.
- There will be an update on the case where we will provide some more information. There will also be an opportunity for the press to ask questions. This will happen around lunchtime, writes press manager Unni Grøndal in an SMS to Nettavisen.

Politiet kommer med flere opplysninger i voldssaken med Marius Borg Høiby

Varsler også at de kommer til å svare på spørsmål fra pressen.

www.nettavisen.no

The police confirmed this on Tuesday morning:
They received a report at 12.30 on Sunday 4 August about a violent incident carried out in an apartment on Frogner in Oslo during the night. The police went to the apartment.
Høiby was arrested by the police at Jansløkka school at 16:10.
He was released from custody on Monday 5 August at 15:39.
The police arrested Høiby at a school by agreement:
- He met there by agreement with the police, who had contacted him by phone a short time before, they write in an update to the press.
- The arrest took place calmly.
So far Høiby has not explained himself to the police. They are in dialogue with the defense attorney about possible questioning, the police said on Tuesday morning.

Politiet om Marius Borg Høiby: Har så langt ikke ønsket å forklare seg

Høiby var i politiets arrest i nesten ett døgn. Nå er politiet i dialog med forsvareren om et mulig avhør.

www.vg.no

What Høiby is charged with must have happened in a flat on Frogner in Oslo, at the offended woman's registered address. According to NRK's source, Høiby has been at the site sometime between 01.00 and 03.00 on Sunday night.

Politiet har komme med meir informasjon om Høiby-saka

Mette-Marit har snakka med fornærma i valdssaka mot sonen Marius. No får ho støtte frå erfaren bistandsadvokat.

www.nrk.no

During the stay, the 27-year-old allegedly subjected the woman to violence and damaged several objects.
According to VG's information, the police have received information that the violence consisted of punches and strangulation - while the damage should include a knife that was stuck in the wall, a broken lamp and broken glass.
- The police do not have information that the woman has suffered serious injuries, but it will be part of the investigation to map out the extent of the victim's injuries, writes the Oslo police district in a press release on Tuesday morning.

Opplysninger til VG om Marius Borg Høiby-saken: Politiet etterforsker slag og kvelertak

Politiet mener voldssiktede Marius Borg Høiby (27) skal ha slått den fornærmede kvinnen, tatt kvelertak på henne og ødelagt ting i leiligheten hennes på Frogner.

www.vg.no

Nettavisen's royal house expert Tove Taalesen doesn't like the sight of the photos Se og Hør published.
- This is certainly not a sight the king and the royal family would want to see. I think it is unnecessary for the royal couple and the crown prince couple to experience this. I think it is an overstep to publish these pictures.
She thinks the photos will be received with shock at the Palace.
- First because they are published. I think it's a bit unnecessary. I think of the Palace, then it will be perceived in the same way. It's shocking to see.
Taalesen questions whether it is necessary for people to see such photos, especially since this is a personal crisis for Marius, and also affects the entire royal family. She thinks that both Marius and the royal family should perhaps have been spared to have these dramatic photos shared with the general public.

Se og Hør publiserer bilder fra åstedet: – Absolutt ikke et syn kongen vil se

Bilder fra leiligheten viser kniv som sitter i veggen, skriver Se og Hør.

www.nettavisen.no

Se og Hør's responsible editor, Ulf A. Andersen:
This case is journalistically driven. And both the articles and the photos illustrate the extent, the drama and the severity of what must have happened when Marius was charged with violence and damage to a person he had a relationship with.
We believe that this is in the public interest.
(..)

Derfor skriver vi om Marius

Marius, sønn av kronprinsesse Mette-Marit, regnes som en del av kongefamilien, som er Norges mest offentlige familie.

www.seher.no

The royal expert Tove Taalesen IMO can go pound sand!
She feels Marius and his family shouldn't have been subjected to the photos of the scene of the crime - because that's what it is - were published. Well, that's thoughtful of her.
Marius could easily have avoided this.
However, how about the victim?

So the woman lived at this apartment. And some posts here say that Marius does or may own that apartment. Does that mean they live together?
What else has Marius destroyed, since he is charged with several accounts of vandalism? - He is after all allowed to destroy his own property - but of course not property belonging to the woman personally.
A phone was found destroyed. Did that phone belong to the woman or Marius? If it was the woman's phone, did that mean she had no immediate means to call for help?
How did she contact her friend? Did the friend come visiting in the forenoon? (That sounds plausible to me BTW.)
What happened in the hours between Marius leaving in the early hours of Sunday morning until the police arrived around noon?
The woman was grabbed by her neck at least. Were there marks on her neck/throat? Were there burst blood-vessels in her eyes? (Indicating immediate danger of her life.)
Why wont the police neither confirm nor dismiss the question of whether the police has been called to other similar incidences in the past involving Marius?

-------

My take on this, and I emphasize that this is what I think happened.

Marius left the apartment in the early hours Sunday morning, probably still in some state of agitation and went to Skaugum to crash at his room or where ever he lives on the estate.
The woman left behind was probably in a state of shock and probably sobbing. She was certainly not in a state of mind to begin clearing up the place.
A friend arrived in forenoon, perhaps for brunch. Saw the sate of the apartment and the state of her friend. The friend either called the police on her own initiative and an ambulance or she persuaded the victim to tell the police - or she called an ambulance and considering that this is a case of violence the dispatcher also send a police unit.
Because the victim may have been in a sate of shock so that she couldn't even call for help. Or she didn't want to call for help, police and/or ambulance - because she didn't want to face what she felt was the shame of being beaten (there is even in this day and age a sense of shame of being beaten by your partner or spouse) or she has been through this before or she hoped this was a one off and it would somehow work out between her and Marius.
A police unit arrived, assessed the situation and initiated a case regardless of the wishes or intentions of the victim.
A warrant for an arrest was obtained while the security police was informed - and by extension the court and senior members of the NRF.
Someone had the presence of mind to call a very seasoned defense attorney - on a Sunday afternoon, mind you. Who immediately advised Marius to say nothing at all.
Marius was contacted and a agreement as to where and when he was to be arrested was set up.
The equivalent of a Norwegian SWAT team turned up at the school - that's routine in cases where an arrest has the potential to become dramatic. (Hence why the Norwegian press are so preoccupied with the question of whether the arresting officers were armed or not. Normally Norwegian police officers don't carry weapons on them.)
Marius was arrested declining to say anything.
He was booked, blood samples taken and he was remanded in a drunk tank (Perhaos all Norwegian police cells are this spartan?) for no less than 30 hours. Presumably while he talked to his attorney, was questioned and brought before a judge for his Constitutional hearing. In Norway all who are arrested by the police must face a judge within a given time frame or be released without a charge.
At some point during Monday a judge listened to the case presented by the police and the counterarguments presented by Marius' attorney and decided to accept the validity of the case presented by the police and then released Marius pending further police investigation. (There is no bail in Norway.)


All in all a pretty bleak situation for Marius!

 

[victor1319]

Damn, this and the Shaman-wedding... All in one summer!

So, the Norwegian Royal Family brought up a girl beater on repeat as it looks. And the Princess has a real trashy wedding. This is so embarrassing! The Royals somewhat look like the "Flodder"-family (from the cult movies of the 90s about a real trash family from the Netherlands).

 

[polyesco]

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken to the offended woman after the incident with her son Marius Borg Høiby. The Palace confirms this to Nettavisen.
- We do not want to go into details as it is private, writes press contact Sara Svanemyr in an email.
It is not known who initiated the conversation.
Nettavisen's royal house expert, Tove Taalesen, thinks it's nice to see a reaction from the crown princess, who is a caregiver with a distinct maternal instinct.

Mette-Marit har snakket med den fornærmede i Høiby-saken

– Det er privat, sier Slottet.

www.nettavisen.no

Is that legal? Forgive my ignorance, but that the mother of the aggressor speaks with the victim before the trail seems off. Yes they know each other but I hope there was no trying to influence or convince her to drop the case. Sorry I am not saying Mette-Marit would do that, she might just be checking in on the woman but this doesnt seem right with me.
That they had a prior relationship, that she is the Crown Princess of the country, this might be intimidating to the victim.
Medie: Mette-Marit har talt med offeret

 

[LadyFinn]

The royal expert Tove Taalesen IMO can go pound sand!
She feels Marius and his family shouldn't have been subjected to the photos of the scene of the crime - because that's what it is - were published. Well, that's thoughtful of her.
Marius could easily have avoided this.
However, how about the victim?

So the woman lived at this apartment. And some posts here say that Marius does or may own that apartment. Does that mean they live together?
What else has Marius destroyed, since he is charged with several accounts of vandalism? - He is after all allowed to destroy his own property - but of course not property belonging to the woman personally.
A phone was found destroyed. Did that phone belong to the woman or Marius? If it was the woman's phone, did that mean she had no immediate means to call for help?
How did she contact her friend? Did the friend come visiting in the forenoon? (That sounds plausible to me BTW.)
What happened in the hours between Marius leaving in the early hours of Sunday morning until the police arrived around noon?
The woman was grabbed by her neck at least. Were there marks on her neck/throat? Were there burst blood-vessels in her eyes? (Indicating immediate danger of her life.)
Why wont the police neither confirm nor dismiss the question of whether the police has been called to other similar incidences in the past involving Marius?

-------

My take on this, and I emphasize that this is what I think happened.

Marius left the apartment in the early hours Sunday morning, probably still in some state of agitation and went to Skaugum to crash at his room or where ever he lives on the estate.
The woman left behind was probably in a state of shock and probably sobbing. She was certainly not in a state of mind to begin clearing up the place.
A friend arrived in forenoon, perhaps for brunch. Saw the sate of the apartment and the state of her friend. The friend either called the police on her own initiative and an ambulance or she persuaded the victim to tell the police - or she called an ambulance and considering that this is a case of violence the dispatcher also send a police unit.
Because the victim may have been in a sate of shock so that she couldn't even call for help. Or she didn't want to call for help, police and/or ambulance - because she didn't want to face what she felt was the shame of being beaten (there is even in this day and age a sense of shame of being beaten by your partner or spouse) or she has been through this before or she hoped this was a one off and it would somehow work out between her and Marius.
A police unit arrived, assessed the situation and initiated a case regardless of the wishes or intentions of the victim.
A warrant for an arrest was obtained while the security police was informed - and by extension the court and senior members of the NRF.
Someone had the presence of mind to call a very seasoned defense attorney - on a Sunday afternoon, mind you. Who immediately advised Marius to say nothing at all.
Marius was contacted and a agreement as to where and when he was to be arrested was set up.
The equivalent of a Norwegian SWAT team turned up at the school - that's routine in cases where an arrest has the potential to become dramatic. (Hence why the Norwegian press are so preoccupied with the question of whether the arresting officers were armed or not. Normally Norwegian police officers don't carry weapons on them.)
Marius was arrested declining to say anything.
He was booked, blood samples taken and he was remanded in a drunk tank (Perhaos all Norwegian police cells are this spartan?) for no less than 30 hours. Presumably while he talked to his attorney, was questioned and brought before a judge for his Constitutional hearing. In Norway all who are arrested by the police must face a judge within a given time frame or be released without a charge.
At some point during Monday a judge listened to the case presented by the police and the counterarguments presented by Marius' attorney and decided to accept the validity of the case presented by the police and then released Marius pending further police investigation. (There is no bail in Norway.)


All in all a pretty bleak situation for Marius!

Yes, I also think everything happened the way you wrote.

Juliane Snekkestad thanks at her Instagram stories for the support she has received since she shared her story.
"I just have to say to you: Many, many thanks for all the nice messages I get. I am touched deep down in my soul by how many fine people there are out there. I have received hundreds of nice and touching messages from you, where you both support me and share your personal stories. Thank you very much, it means a lot to me. Unfortunately, I don't have the energy to answer everyone right now, but I want to say that I will take everything you have sent, and promise to answer you."

Takker for støtten

- Jeg blir rørt dypt ned i sjelen.

www.seher.no

 

[Hans-Rickard]

And we all thought the Shaman-wedding would be the worst thing to happen this August…

It almost dissapears completely after this….

 

[Minister of Court]

It almost dissapears completely after this….

And there’s your silver lining!

 

[hereditarytitles]

Is that legal? Forgive my ignorance, but that the mother of the aggressor speaks with the victim before the trail seems off. Yes they know each other but I hope there was no trying to influence or convince her to drop the case. Sorry I am not saying Mette-Marit would do that, she might just be checking in on the woman but this doesnt seem right with me.
That they had a prior relationship, that she is the Crown Princess of the country, this might be intimidating to the victim.
Medie: Mette-Marit har talt med offeret

I think that MM wanted to show her support to the young woman that was so badly treated and hurt by her son. I cannot imagine that she would have tried any influence to protect her son from prosecution. If she hadn't reacted at all and kept silent about her son's aggressions it would have been criticized as well.

 

[polyesco]

I think that MM wanted to show her support to the young woman that was so badly treated and hurt by her son. I cannot imagine that she would have tried any influence to protect her son from prosecution. If she hadn't reacted at all and kept silent about her son's aggressions it would have been criticized as well.

I imagine this too. But there is a thin line between showing support and indirectly influencing the victim. Any mention of Marius, he feels terrible, you know he has had a hard time, etc.

Hopefully I am way off and just overthinking, for the sake of the victim.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

Is that legal? Forgive my ignorance, but that the mother of the aggressor speaks with the victim before the trail seems off. Yes they know each other but I hope there was no trying to influence or convince her to drop the case. Sorry I am not saying Mette-Marit would do that, she might just be checking in on the woman but this doesnt seem right with me.
That they had a prior relationship, that she is the Crown Princess of the country, this might be intimidating to the victim.
Medie: Mette-Marit har talt med offeret

I 100% agree. I really want to believe that HRH The Crown Princess talked to the victim to offer comfort and support for however the latter wanted to handle this situation.
Family members of the accused, however, usually stand with them. Even if the family member 100% believes that the accused perpetuated the crime, they will work towards leniency for them, sometimes even in lieu of justice for the victim. This is especially often true with mothers and sons, especially regarding crimes against women if said woman has internalized misogyny. This is also true of people of higher social status who try to downplay awkward situations for appearances.
I don't know a lot about HRH The Crown Princess (she comes across as very down-to-Earth), but I hope that the discussion was 100% about supporting the victim.

 

[Muhler]

These are the two official statements from the Norwegian police.
The first is a short summary of the incident and arrest.

Voldshendelse på Frogner i Oslo

Politiet rykket ut til en adresse på Frogner søndag formiddag, etter melding om en voldshendelse som skal ha skjedd i en leilighet i løpet av natten. En mann i 20-årene ble pågrepet i forbindelse med hendelsen og dimittert fra arresten dagen etter.

www.politiet.no

The second is the statement issued today, which contains a few more details.

Voldshendelse Frogner i Oslo - informasjon om avhør av Høiby

Oppdatering 15. august kl. 13:16: - Politiet har vært i dialog med forsvarer om å gjennomføre avhør av Høiby. - Det er planlagt avhør neste uke. Etter ønske fra forsvarer går vi ikke ut med konkret tidspunkt.

www.politiet.no

- Both in Norwegian but I haven't got time to write a summary right now, and they contain nothing that has not already been mentioned here in this thread.

But more details are emerging.
Norwegian Se&Hør which appear to have an inside source (perhaps the friend?) has more:
The victim was an ex-girlfriend of Marius.

According to Se&Hør (and they've been right so far) the Norwegian police are in possession of a sound-file(s) of Marius, who after leaving the victim on Sunday, contacted her again several times by calling her (phone at least) and here he threatened to burn her clothes and possession if she did not do what he demanded. (Whatever that was.)

Truet med å tenne på

I tiden mellom voldshendelsen i leiligheten og arrestasjonen av Marius, skal han ha fremsatt nye trusler mot kvinnen.

www.seher.no

Politiet har lydopptak fra Skaugum

Politiet sitter på lydopptak der Mette-Marits sønn fra sitt hjem på Skaugum skal fremsette trusler mot kvinnen han kort tid før skal ha utøvet vold mot.

www.seher.no

This, according to Se&Hør, has been confirmed by two independent sources.
These threats by Marius were made while he was at Skaugum.

According to the newspaper VG, two such threats were made.

Opplysninger til VG om Marius Borg Høiby-saken: Politiet etterforsker slag og kvelertak

Politiet mener voldssiktede Marius Borg Høiby (27) skal ha slått den fornærmede kvinnen, tatt kvelertak på henne og ødelagt ting i leiligheten hennes på Frogner.

www.vg.no

Among the things she should have said is again the threat about burning her belongings and clothes, insults and name-calling as well as accusations towards her.

------------

- I suspect some kind of jealousy or perhaps the among abusers so common feeling of anger because they are losing control over their victims.
What strikes me is the very childish threat of burning her clothes! What adult man of 27 would say such a thing, even in anger?!?

It makes me wonder how... intellectual he is, for a lack of a better term. He certainly strikes me as a very entitled and unpleasant individual - when he doesn't get his way.

 

[moby]

According to Se&Hør (and they've been right so far) the Norwegian police are in possession of a sound-file(s) of Marius, who after leaving the victim on Sunday, contacted her again several times by calling her (phone at least) and here he threatened to burn her clothes and possession if she did not do what he demanded. (Whatever that was.)

Truet med å tenne på

I tiden mellom voldshendelsen i leiligheten og arrestasjonen av Marius, skal han ha fremsatt nye trusler mot kvinnen.

www.seher.no

Politiet har lydopptak fra Skaugum

Politiet sitter på lydopptak der Mette-Marits sønn fra sitt hjem på Skaugum skal fremsette trusler mot kvinnen han kort tid før skal ha utøvet vold mot.

www.seher.no

This, according to Se&Hør, has been confirmed by two independent sources.
These threats by Marius were made while he was at Skaugum.

According to the newspaper VG, two such threats were made.

Opplysninger til VG om Marius Borg Høiby-saken: Politiet etterforsker slag og kvelertak

Politiet mener voldssiktede Marius Borg Høiby (27) skal ha slått den fornærmede kvinnen, tatt kvelertak på henne og ødelagt ting i leiligheten hennes på Frogner.

www.vg.no

Among the things she should have said is again the threat about burning her belongings and clothes, insults and name-calling as well as accusations towards her.

Thanks to you and everyone who sends updates. I find it horrible that even after Marius was separated far from the victim, he still kept calling and threatening her. Sometimes you can chalk up bad behaviour up to someone losing control in a particular moment but after some distance, they express remorse. In this instance, it doesn't seem like he cooled down after leaving the scene and was still intent on causing hurt and harm on the victim. That's more than a little disturbing.

 

[Prinsara]

It makes me wonder how... intellectual he is, for a lack of a better term.

I'm not sure he's ever been taken as wildly intellectual. He didn't attend (or at least finish) an academic high school, and then there are things like clubbing instead of attending your parents' party, not seeming to prioritize intelligence or good sense in partners or at least a downward course after Juliane –– although we now know the girlfriends may have been FAR brighter and more compassionate, the appearance and judgment here was that he was simply looking for surface things –– all of which basically add up to, school/grades/knowledge/and priorities aside, he might be lacking in basic sense and decency as well.

The only thing I can remember IA saying about him relatively recently was her remark at her party that he was basically her fun brother who took her out on the jet-ski (probably too fast?). Nothing about him teaching her anything, setting an example, or making her envious...

And basically, the longer all this goes on, the more I think of the Nicole Brown Simpson case: her abuser was in a position of immense privilege and content to coast on that (although at least he worked his way up there), held in deference by the authorities, had an extremely long history of violence... and was not an intellectual, at all (although he was quite capable of being very nice to some people under some circumstances). Thank goodness the similarities stop there.

 

[ladongas]

Damn, this and the Shaman-wedding... All in one summer!

So, the Norwegian Royal Family brought up a girl beater on repeat as it looks. And the Princess has a real trashy wedding. …

Perhaps saying that the NRF ‘brought up a girl beater’ - is unfair.
They didn’t bring him up to do cruel and illegal things; a 27 year old man is responsible for his own bad acts and character.

Nor did the NRF deliberately bring up a daughter who became involved with an unsavory person. Adults make their own bad choices.

Parents don’t automatically get the credit for a Nobel Prize winner nor the blame for a criminal and his acts.

 

[Prinsara]

Parents don’t automatically get the credit for a Nobel Prize winner nor the blame for a criminal and his acts.

Right. And you hardly have to be the NRF to have someone with major issues or serious problems in the family. If anything, this just proves how sadly 'normal' and un-exempt royals are.

I do still think the NRF is close; I am sure they will support Marius behind the scenes if nothing else (or at least his mom will), but it all goes to show even love and caring sometimes isn't enough to make a difference (...barring whatever else we learn in the press or legally).

 

[kalnel]

Would it be common in the Norwegian legal system for someone to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid a public trial and possible jail time?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Such an issue is difficult in 'normal' families, even more so in the NRF. It is likely that there have been incidents before, such as anger issues, erratic behaviour. Plus there is a lack of education yet a comfortable funding from whoever, I doubt Marius made a lot of money with whatever he was doing. In normal families at least you try to help, at some point you try to 'enforce' an education/stop funding if this doesnt happen. NRF are very public and and rift is likely to be picked up by the media. This might have been a reason to just let him float around hoping for the best, a 27 year old without any noticable direction in life but backed up by stepdaddys money, a recipe for desaster/loose cannon. NRF seem extremely laid back/antiauthoritarian view, these days it backfires big time, first ML now Marius.

 

[Biri]

And where is Marius' biological father in all that?

 

[LadyFinn]

Dagbladet's political editor Lars Helle at his comment about Mette-Marit's call to the victim, that although the purpose of contacting the victim surely was anything other than the very best, simply to hear if she was doing well, it could have been very unwise.

The problem is that the contact makes Mette-Marit a direct actor in the matter. Her well-intentioned thoughtlessness may drag the royal family closer into the scandal. She postponed her trip to Paris to be a mother, but perhaps also a bit of a mother-in-law. A little too much mother-in-law.
She also shows a lack of understanding of the power mechanisms such a conversation triggers, because she doesn't know what weight any words from a crown princess can have. What she herself sees as ordinary, comforting words is something the interlocutor can remember for the rest of her life. "Clumsy" is perhaps a slightly too careful word for her performance. It may turn out that it has simply been sensationally idiotic.
Mette-Marit's behavior is very unwise. Unlike Marius, she has immunity. She can't be punished and she doesn't have to testify in a possible criminal case against her son.
That's the case the Palace fears most now. If the investigation provides grounds for bringing charges, everything will be in open court. The results of Marius' blood test, other events that may have occurred in the relationship and events that lie further back in time will be presented and witnesses will be heard. Photos and audio recordings of Marius' conversations with the victim before the arrest will be presented and the victim will be asked of her conversation with Mette-Marit. If it gets to the point where Mette-Marit has to invoke her immunity it will be bad and harmful.
The police initiated the investigation on its own initiative and the incident is of such a nature that the victim can't unilaterally withdraw the case from the legal system. That makes Mette-Marit's handling even worse.

Sensasjonelt idiotisk

Er det noe spesielt i at en mor snakker med en kvinne sønnen har hatt et kjæresteforhold til? Ja. Når du er kronprinsesse, blir en slik samtale høyeksplosiv.

www.dagbladet.no

 

[Muhler]

Would it be common in the Norwegian legal system for someone to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid a public trial and possible jail time?

I suppose so. But in this case it's tricky.

Marius can of course plead guilty to all charges laid against him and then it's matter of sentencing him. But of course the charges and the evidence is public without Marius getting a say to present him in a better light.
Pleading guilty will probably lead to some kind of discount because it's an indication of some sort of remorse.

The problem is of course if the public gets the feeling that Marius is let off lightly because his family pulls strings - even if it's not true at all - it can seriously backfire on the NRF.

The best thing the NRF can do IMO is to keep as much distance to Marius as they possibly can considering that they are family. Even if it means Marius having to do time in prison.

Marius belongs to the Royal Family, but he is not royal, he doesn't even have a title. And in every family there can be a black sheep. Unfortunately the NRF has two - soon three black sheep, as Durek is about to join the family as well. That's quite a lot in such a small family!
There is unfortunately a tendency of over-indulgence within the NRF. King Harald has certainly been very indulgent towards his daughter! If it turns out that there are previous incidents with Marius and the NRF somehow didn't "do something" about it, for whatever reason. Then even King Harald's credit score which is very high, could drop quite a bit.

In other words the NRF cannot afford to be lenient towards Marius. The NRF cannot afford another incident remotely like this involving Marius.
King Harald needs to decide who he is: King or doting grandfather.
Mette-Marit needs to decide whether she is an indulgent mother or the Crown Princess.
And Haakon needs to decide whether he is a nice step-dad or the Crown Prince and future king.

This is assault, for heavens sake!
No woman, unless she's an expert in martial arts or is very lucky, has a chance against a strong and fit 27 year old man. Period!
He injured her! He brandished a knife. Probably threatened her with the knife. IMO that poor woman had very - very - good reasons to fear for her life. - And what other details may emerge? Was this the first time he ran amok?
The NRF will have to deal with Marius, firmly and be seen to deal with him.

No more mr. nice guy, it didn't work with ML and her shaman and it seemingly didn't work with Marius either.
So while they are dealing with Marius they might also, finally and at long last, put the foot down in regards to ML and her out-of-this-world husband to be.

If King Harald can't bring himself to act firmly, and some people are simply too nice, then he has two options:
A) Step down and let Haakon to it.
B) Continue being too indulgent and pass the buck on to Haakon in the hope that these, so far three, black sheep don't continue making a spectacle of themselves, and if they do hope that Haakon acts firmly. Otherwise I think there could be a real danger of Haakon going down in the history books as Haakon The Last.
- There is after all a limit for the public tolerance. And at present Norway is de facto a heredity republic. The final step isn't that big...

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Dagbladet's political editor Lars Helle at his comment [: ...] Mette-Marit's behavior is very unwise. Unlike Marius, she has immunity. She can't be punished and she doesn't have to testify in a possible criminal case against her son.

Sensasjonelt idiotisk

Er det noe spesielt i at en mor snakker med en kvinne sønnen har hatt et kjæresteforhold til? Ja. Når du er kronprinsesse, blir en slik samtale høyeksplosiv.

www.dagbladet.no

Probably so, but the category of persons covered by Article 37 of the Constitution (see this link) since 1990 has never been clarified. In any case, even if a person has immunity under Article 37, the same article allows the King (one can debate over whether this means the King personally, or the Government in the name of the King) to waive their immunity.

If anyone wishes to discuss the immunity issue further, I suggest we move it to Constitutional and Dynastic Matters in the Norwegian Monarchy

 

[Mbruno]

These are the two official statements from the Norwegian police.
The first is a short summary of the incident and arrest.

Voldshendelse på Frogner i Oslo

Politiet rykket ut til en adresse på Frogner søndag formiddag, etter melding om en voldshendelse som skal ha skjedd i en leilighet i løpet av natten. En mann i 20-årene ble pågrepet i forbindelse med hendelsen og dimittert fra arresten dagen etter.

www.politiet.no

The second is the statement issued today, which contains a few more details.

Voldshendelse Frogner i Oslo - informasjon om avhør av Høiby

Oppdatering 15. august kl. 13:16: - Politiet har vært i dialog med forsvarer om å gjennomføre avhør av Høiby. - Det er planlagt avhør neste uke. Etter ønske fra forsvarer går vi ikke ut med konkret tidspunkt.

www.politiet.no

- Both in Norwegian but I haven't got time to write a summary right now, and they contain nothing that has not already been mentioned here in this thread.

But more details are emerging.
Norwegian Se&Hør which appear to have an inside source (perhaps the friend?) has more:
The victim was an ex-girlfriend of Marius.

According to Se&Hør (and they've been right so far) the Norwegian police are in possession of a sound-file(s) of Marius, who after leaving the victim on Sunday, contacted her again several times by calling her (phone at least) and here he threatened to burn her clothes and possession if she did not do what he demanded. (Whatever that was.)

Truet med å tenne på

I tiden mellom voldshendelsen i leiligheten og arrestasjonen av Marius, skal han ha fremsatt nye trusler mot kvinnen.

www.seher.no

Politiet har lydopptak fra Skaugum

Politiet sitter på lydopptak der Mette-Marits sønn fra sitt hjem på Skaugum skal fremsette trusler mot kvinnen han kort tid før skal ha utøvet vold mot.

www.seher.no

This, according to Se&Hør, has been confirmed by two independent sources.
These threats by Marius were made while he was at Skaugum.

According to the newspaper VG, two such threats were made.

Opplysninger til VG om Marius Borg Høiby-saken: Politiet etterforsker slag og kvelertak

Politiet mener voldssiktede Marius Borg Høiby (27) skal ha slått den fornærmede kvinnen, tatt kvelertak på henne og ødelagt ting i leiligheten hennes på Frogner.

www.vg.no

Among the things she should have said is again the threat about burning her belongings and clothes, insults and name-calling as well as accusations towards her.

------------

I am not sure if I understood it correctly. Are you saying that Marius called her and threatened to burn her clothes after he was arrested and then released from jail? Was the purpose of the threats to make her drop the case? I can't possibly imagine that Marius' lawyer would let him do something as stupid as that.

 

[Mbruno]

I suppose so. But in this case it's tricky.

Marius can of course plead guilty to all charges laid against him and then it's matter of sentencing him. But of course the charges and the evidence is public without Marius getting a say to present him in a better light.
Pleading guilty will probably lead to some kind of discount because it's an indication of some sort of remorse.

The problem is of course if the public gets the feeling that Marius is let off lightly because his family pulls strings - even if it's not true at all - it can seriously backfire on the NRF.

The best thing the NRF can do IMO is to keep as much distance to Marius as they possibly can considering that they are family. Even if it means Marius having to do time in prison.

Marius belongs to the Royal Family, but he is not royal, he doesn't even have a title. And in every family there can be a black sheep. Unfortunately the NRF has two - soon three black sheep, as Durek is about to join the family as well. That's quite a lot in such a small family!
There is unfortunately a tendency of over-indulgence within the NRF. King Harald has certainly been very indulgent towards his daughter! If it turns out that there are previous incidents with Marius and the NRF somehow didn't "do something" about it, for whatever reason. Then even King Harald's credit score which is very high, could drop quite a bit.

In other words the NRF cannot afford to be lenient towards Marius. The NRF cannot afford another incident remotely like this involving Marius.
King Harald needs to decide who he is: King or doting grandfather.
Mette-Marit needs to decide whether she is an indulgent mother or the Crown Princess.
And Haakon needs to decide whether he is a nice step-dad or the Crown Prince and future king.

I doubt King Harald will be blamed for being lenient with Marius. Although he is the King, he is not related to Marius and is not responsible for him. Haakon and MM, on the other hand, raised Marius for the most part (although he also spent some time with his biological father while growing up). So I would assume that, if anyone were to be "blamed" for having been too permissive with Marius, it would be the CP couple in the eyes of the public.

Having a son who turns out to become a violent person that breaks the law is always a difficult situation for parents. Whether it is fair or not to do so, in practice many people will question that person's upbringing and might assign at least some blame to the parents.

 

[Muhler]

I am not sure if I understood it correctly. Are you saying that Marius called her and threatened to burn her clothes after he was arrested and then released from jail? Was the purpose of the threats to make her drop the case? I can't possibly imagine that Marius' lawyer would let him something as stupid as that.

No, between leaving the apartment and being arrested.

 

[Mbruno]

No, between leaving the apartment and being arrested.

OK, that makes more sense, but it is still incredibly stupid in terms of incriminating yourself with additional evidence. Maybe he was sure that the victim would remain silent and never press charges.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The only thing I can remember IA saying about him relatively recently was her remark at her party that he was basically her fun brother who took her out on the jet-ski (probably too fast?). Nothing about him teaching her anything, setting an example, or making her envious...

Do you have in mind her coming-of-age speech in 2022, or another interview? Her comments about her brothers in the former were

Dear Marius and Magnus.
You are my safety net. I know I can always come to you when something is bothering me.

Marius,
Thank you for everything I have learned from you, and for being able to talk to me about everything. Thank you for always being there to protect me.

Magnus, you are always nice to me when I need it. Thank you for the hugs that you usually give me when I have had an extra tough day.

I am so proud to have you both as my brothers.​

Any loving references to family members in future public royal speeches will surely have to be handled with more delicacy in the future, thanks to Marius's recent actions. From the Royal House's perspective, I suppose they are counting themselves lucky that they already announced on Marius's 20th birthday in 2017 that he would not carry out representational duties and wished to live a private life.

 

[Prinsara]

Isn’t there a chance MM spoke to Marius’s lawyer before calling the woman? Maybe she was somehow advised that it’s not quite as thorny a risk as it seems?

There’s such a lot we still don’t know and won’t emerge until a trial, for better or worse.

There have not been that many violent criminal cases involving royals/royal-adjacents any time recently, have there?

Marius,
Thank you for everything I have learned from you, and for being able to talk to me about everything. Thank you for always being there to protect me.

Thank you for the clarification, but somehow that makes it so much worse.

Edit: the jet ski thing was apparently Marius himself, although I doubt the video is around anymore.
Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday: 21 January, 2022 & birthday celebrations

 

[Muhler]

OK, that makes more sense, but it is still incredibly stupid in terms of incriminating yourself with additional evidence. Maybe he was sure that the victim would remain silent and never press charges.

Well, he sure wasn't thinking straight!

And as he really was stupid enough to leave such messages on her voicemail (I guess) believing it would work, then:
A) He was totally unhinged, in which case this could easily have ended up being much worse.
B) He is stupid.
C) Or it has worked before. - After all, the girlfriend who went public, Snekkestad, said his abuse in particular was psychological, and in the view of the info that has emerged in connection with these sound-files, it was very likely in the form of threats, shouting and general intimidation. - And if he has pulled such stunts with at least one former girlfriend (and the perhaps this latest girlfriend broke up with him because of his behavior towards her) then it is a behavioral pattern. And he has learned that it basically works and there are no real consequences for doing so.
IMO Marius is an abuser and if he wasn't stopped and now finally learn that there are consequences, he would have continued this behavior with the next girlfriend. And it would likely have escalated. Perhaps the next girlfriend would have ended up being seriously hurt or worse.
That's what's in the back of my mind, when following this event.

The indulgence and tolerance and turning a blind eye has to stop. Norway isn't bigger than quite a few people by now, would know of Marius behavior. Yet nothing happened and if he is an immature person, and I believe most abusers are just that, then he has learned that nothing happens, so why not continue?