Former Afghan hostage returns to court Monday
OTTAWA — Former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle has made a brief video appearance in an Ottawa court on a string of assault charges.
Clad in orange coveralls, Boyle said little during the short hearing Monday. His case continues to inch along, with another routine appearance slated for next Monday.
The Crown disclosed particulars of the case to the defence almost a week ago, but it remains unclear when a bail hearing will take place.
Boyle was arrested by Ottawa police around the start of the new year and faces 15 charges, including eight counts of assault, two of sexual assault, two of unlawful confinement and one count of causing someone to take a noxious “thing, an antidepressant. The charges against the 34-year-old relate to two alleged victims, but a court order prohibits the publication of any details that might identify them or any witnesses. None of the charges — related to incidents that allegedly occurred between Oct. 14 and Dec. 30, after Boyle returned to Canada from his Afghan captivity — have been tested in court.
Lawyers Lawrence Greenspon and Eric Granger, who are representing Boyle, stressed in a recent statement that he has no criminal record and has never been in trouble with the law.
Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, were taken hostage in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan. The couple, and the three children they had during their five years in captivity, were finally freed by Pakistani forces last October.
Their rescue in October made headlines around the world, and even prompted a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just before Christmas. The Prime Minister’s Office said it would not comment since the investigation is ongoing, although a government official has confirmed that the Boyles met with Trudeau at the family’s request.