Norwegian princess' son remains in custody pending rape trial verdict

Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is to remain in custody until a verdict is delivered in his rape trial, the Norwegian news agency NTB reported Tuesday.

A court rejected his appeal against a previous detention order. In early March, Høiby had requested release from pre-trial detention, but the court cited "the seriousness and scope of the case, as well as the high risk of reoffending."

Høiby, who is Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, is not a member of Norway's royal house. He was a young child when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.

He was briefly detained shortly before the high-profile trial began in early February for allegedly breaching a restraining order against a former girlfriend and engaging in reckless behaviour. He has remained in custody since.

The trial, which concluded last week, has shocked Norway and drawn global media attention. Høiby, 29, is accused of raping four women, allegedly while they were asleep, among other charges. A verdict is not expected until early June.

Høiby has denied the sexual offence charges but admitted some of the other allegations, including domestic violence against an ex-girlfriend, violations of a restraining order, traffic offences and transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana.