Former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle will undergo a comprehensive psychiatric assessment.
Boyle faces a string of charges, including sexual assault, following his release from captivity. Boyle and his wife Caitlan Coleman of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, were taken hostage in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group and freed last year.
His lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told an Ontario court Friday that an initial evaluation found his client fit to stand trial. But Greenspon added he would benefit from a fuller assessment at a mental health center.
Boyle’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 26.
He was arrested by Ottawa police late last month.
The purported acts allegedly occurred between Oct. 14 and Dec. 30 after Boyle returned to Canada. A publication ban bars reporting information that could identify the alleged victims.
