Joshua Boyle’s wife, kids return to U.S.

OTTAWA — The American wife of former overseas hostage Joshua Boyle has reportedly returned to the U.S. with the couple’s three children while Boyle awaits trial on multiple assault charges.

ABC News is reporting that an Ottawa judge gave Caitlan Coleman permission to leave Canada with the three children on Monday, nearly six years after she and Boyle were abducted while backpacking in Afghanistan.

The news report says Coleman is seeking full legal custody of the children, all of whom were born in captivity, and that she is pregnant with a fourth child.

Boyle’s lawyer Lawrence Greenspon tells The Canadian Press that his client’s primary concern is the children’s wellbeing and that he is devastated by the court order, which makes any access to his children nearly impossible.

Ottawa police arrested Boyle in late December and charged him with various offences allegedly committed after Pakistani security forces rescued the family in October and they returned to Canada.

The charges include assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement related to two alleged victims, though a court order prohibits publication of any details that might identify the victims or any witnesses. None of the charges have been tested in court.

Boyle was granted bail last month under strict conditions that include staying with his parents at their home in Smiths Falls, Ont., and wearing a GPS ankle bracelet to track his movements.