OTTAWA – Freed hostage Joshua Boyle is currently in police custody, and is facing over a dozen criminal charges over alleged incidents that took place between Oct. 14 and Dec. 30, 2017.
Boyle is facing eight counts of assault, two counts of sexual assault and two counts of unlawful confinement. He also faces one count each of misleading police to “divert suspicion from himself,” uttering a death threat, and administering a noxious substance, namely Trazodone.
The 15 charges were laid against the 34-year-old on Dec. 30.
Boyle's lawyer Eric Granger told CTV News that Boyle is still in police custody and is scheduled to appear in Ottawa court Wednesday, Jan. 3. Granger said he is "eager" to see the evidence against his client.
"This is an individual obviously we all know has been through a lot, is an individual otherwise who hasn’t been in trouble before, and he’s presumed innocent of these charges," Granger told CTV News.
There is a publication ban in place, which prevents publication of any information that could identify the alleged victim(s) or witnesses.
At the time of the arrest, Boyle and his family were living in a downtown Ottawa apartment.
Boyle, his American wife and their three children were brought back to Canada on Oct. 13, 2017 after the couple was abducted in Afghanistan five years ago. The pair had three children while being held captive by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.
Upon the family’s return to Canada, Boyle alleged that their captors raped his wife and caused her to miscarry a baby girl, an allegation the Taliban denies, according to the Associated Press.
"Obviously, this is now another ordeal that he is going to have to deal with, and is starting to deal with," Boyle’s defence lawyer said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Boyles in his Parliament Hill office on Dec. 18, a meeting that came to light after a Twitter account named "The Boyle Family" posted photos of the meeting.
A senior government source speaking on background said that Boyle requested the meeting.
Boyle was once married to Zaynab Khadr, the older sister of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr.
CTV News has reached out to the Boyle family, who declined to comment.
With files from CTV's Senior Political Correspondent Glen McGregor.
