OSLO, Norway (AFP) — The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty Tuesday to four counts of rape at the opening of a trial that has embarrassed the royal family.

Marius Borg Hoiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son from a relationship prior to her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, stood and muttered a response to four counts of rape between 2018 and 2024.

Clad in green trousers and a sweater, Hoiby remained expressionless as prosecutors read out the 38 charges against him, which could see him jailed for up to 16 years.

Hoiby pleaded guilty to several of the more minor counts, including assaults, a narcotics charge, traffic offences and violations of restraining orders.

He was arrested again on Sunday evening on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order, and was remanded in custody for four weeks.

The prosecution presented details of the alleged rapes and assaults to the packed Oslo court, while Hoiby, his head bowed, fidgeted nervously.

One of Hoiby’s alleged victims was to testify behind closed doors later Tuesday, while Hoiby is scheduled to take the stand for the first time on Wednesday.

The trial came just days after his mother was drawn into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, after unsealed United States (US) documents revealed her apparently close friendship with the convicted sex offender, who killed himself in prison in 2019.

– ‘Treated like anyone else ‘-

“The accused is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. Nonetheless, he should be treated the same way anyone else accused of the same crimes would be,” prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo told the court.

“He must not be treated more severely nor more leniently because of his family connections.”

The defence has not spoken publicly ahead of the trial.

Hoiby was arrested on August 4, 2024 suspected of assaulting his girlfriend the night before.

After his arrest, he handed over his cell phone to police, which had been smashed and had no SIM card, Henriksbo said.

Several days later, Hoiby admitted he had acted “under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument”, having suffered from “mental troubles” and struggling “for a long time with substance abuse”.

Several ex-girlfriends then came forward and said he had abused them, both physically and mentally.

The police investigation uncovered a string of other suspected offences, including the rapes of four women while they were sleeping or passed out drunk, some of which he filmed.

The four rapes allegedly took place in 2018, 2023 and 2024, the last one after the police investigation began.

In January, police announced six more counts against him, including a drugs offence from 2020 after he confessed to transporting 3.5 kilos (nearly eight pounds) of marijuana.

– Kicks and punches –

The identities of Hoiby’s seven alleged victims cannot be disclosed, with the exception of his ex-girlfriend Nora Haukland, a model and influencer who has publicly accused him of physical abuse.

Between the summer of 2022 and the autumn of 2023, while the two were in a relationship, Hoiby repeatedly struck her in the face, kicked and punched her, grabbed her by the throat, threw her against a refrigerator and hurled insults at her, according to the prosecution.

The scandal, which royal experts say is the worst in the monarchy’s history, has dealt a blow to its reputation, though it remains broadly popular thanks to King Harald and Queen Sonja — both 88 — who are respected as unifying figures.

A poll published on Tuesday by television channel TV2 suggested that more than 70 percent of Norwegians think the monarchy’s standing has been weakened in recent years by various scandals.

The opening of Tuesday’s trial coincided with a vote in Norway’s parliament on whether to maintain the monarchy, adopted by a wide majority.

Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit will not attend the trial.

Mette-Marit is currently fighting battles on several fronts.

The 52-year-old suffers from an incurable lung disease and will likely need a risky lung transplant in the future.

She has also faced harsh criticism in recent days over her links with Epstein.

The verdict on Hoiby is expected several weeks after the trial ends on March 19.