Joshua Boyle, the Canadian man who was taken captive by a terrorist cell while travelling in Afghanistan has appeared in court for the first time since being charged for a number of abuses.
Boyle is facing 19 charges for his crimes against two victims: his estranged wife and co-captive Caitlan Coleman, as well as another unidentified victim.
Coleman, who has successfully repealed a publication ban on her identity, alleges that Boyle was physically, emotionally and sexually abusive towards her during their relationship.
Boyle and Coleman were held captive in Afghanistan by a Taliban affiliated terrorist cell called the Haqqani network. While in captivity, Coleman has also alleged in the past that Boyle was abusive towards her and threatened
Since being freed from captivity in 2017 by Pakistani forces, Boyle has consistently made headlines.
Shortly after his release and two weeks before his arrest, Boyle was granted a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who has since defended the interaction.
Several observers have also pointed out Boyle’s flirtations with radical Islam and the reasons behind his visit to Afghanistan.
According to correspondences sent to the Toronto Sun by Joshua Boyle himself, he was even offered a position in the Taliban while still a captive.
Furthermore, Coleman wasn’t Boyle’s first wife. In 2009 Boyle was briefly married to convicted murderer and Al-Qaeda terrorist Omar Khadr’s sister, Zaynab Khadr.
Among the evidence presented at Boyle’s trial was a 911 call in which Boyle called the police on his wife for threatening to kill herself. However, Crown prosecutors claim that the call was an attempt by Boyle to divert attention away from his own wrongdoings.
Currently, Boyle is facing the following charges:
- One count of sexual assault while threatening to use a weapon
- One count of sexual assault with a weapon
- One count of uttering a threat to cause death
- Nine counts of assault
- One count of assault with a weapon
- Three counts of unlawful confinement
- One count of administering a noxious substance
- One count of public mischief
- One count of criminal harassment
During the trial, Boyle attempted to leave the proceedings with his father but was informed by the judge that he could not.
