사진 확대 Marius Bogre Conference Vue, eldest son of Crown Prince Bin Metemarit, Norway. [AP = Yonhap News]
The Norwegian royal family is in trouble with a series of rumors. The controversy is growing after Metemarit, the spouse of Crown Prince Hokon, the No. 1 heir to the throne, was rumored to be close to U.S. billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his eldest son, who faces trial on charges of sexual assault and other charges, was arrested on additional crimes.
Norwegian police said in a statement on the 2nd (local time) that they had arrested Marius Bogr Hoeibue, 29, the stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Hokon and the eldest son of Crown Prince Metemarit, on charges of assault, threatening a weapon and violating a restraining order.
Hoi Vue was arrested the previous evening, and police believe his crimes have taken place several times over the weekend.
The Oslo District Court decided there was a risk of recidivism and accepted a maximum of four weeks of detention requested by police. Hoi Vue is currently charged with a total of 38 charges, including four sexual assaults, violence against his ex-lover, drug possession, and traffic violations, and is scheduled to be tried from the 3rd.
He has been awaiting trial without physical detention. Earlier, he admitted to assaulting his girlfriend and damaging furniture while drunk on alcohol and cocaine, but has denied allegations of sex crimes and many allegations of violence.
Hoiibue is the son of Metemarit’s Crown Prince Bin before he married Crown Prince Hokon in 2001, and he is not a royal and is not included in the line of succession to the throne. Prince Hokon recently said, “My stepson is not a member of the royal family, but a Norwegian citizen,” adding that he will be judged by the law the same as other citizens.
Meanwhile, as the name of Crown Prince Metemarit has appeared at least 1,000 times in Epstein-related documents further released by the U.S. Department of Justice, past exchanges between Crown Prince Bin and Epstein are being re-examined. The release of the document has rekindled controversy over the morality and judgment of the royal family.
“I lacked judgment and deeply regret my contact with Epstein,” the crown prince said in a statement to the AFP news agency, adding, “I have not been able to confirm Epstein’s background more closely and understand what he is like quickly enough.”