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A NORWEGIAN royal who was arrested on suspicion of raping two women is now suspected of a third sex crime.
Marius Borg Hoiby, the eldest son of Crown Prince Haakon, was released from custody on Wednesday.
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Hoiby was initially arrested on November 18 and a judge ordered him to be held in custody for a week after the second rape allegation emerged.
Cops said these alleged rapes were "with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act."
Police added that he was suspected of a third sex crime, but did not provide details of the new allegations against the 27-year-old prince.
He was released on Wednesday as authorities did not request a custody extension.
Cops said: "As of now, we can no longer see that there is a risk of evidence tampering.”
Hoiby's lawyer, Oyvind Bratlien claimed the release showed evidence against the prince had “significantly weakened."
The royal has also come under more fire as a shocking Snapchat video appeared to show Hoiby acting out how he would allegedly slap his ex.
In the short clip, he can be seen playing around with his friends then staring down at the camera before throwing a slap towards the phone as he laughs.
Norwegian magazine Se og Hør published the clip and said it came from a private Snapchat group that has around 50 members.
They also claimed the video was made in response to a question by one of the other group members who asked: "How did you break up with your last girlfriend?"
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Hoiby has also been accused of physically abusing three ex-girlfriends and violating a restraining order.
These orders were issued in regards to two different women.
Hoiby - the son of Norwegian crown princess Mette-Marit - and his legal troubles came to light this summer.
The royal has been arrested three times in three months in cases which involve four women and one man.
He was detained in August after allegedly attacking his former girlfriend but was later released.
The victim was discharged from hospital the following day with a diagnosed concussion.
Local media claimed a knife was stuck into one of the walls of the alleged victim's bedroom.
Police last week said suspicions relating to the August incident now include domestic abuse.
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He was detained again in September for violating a restraining order by allegedly contacting his ex.
Hoiby was born in 1997 and raised by the Norwegian royals after his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.
Despite this, Hoiby has no official public role, unlike his half siblings Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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