They were held hostage by Islamic militants for five years. Now Canadian Joshua Boyle is accused of sexually abusing wife Caitlan Coleman

Joshua Boyle and his wife were kidnapped in 2012 while backpacking in Afghanistan, and had three children while in captivity

Boyle is now accused of 19 charges, relating to attacks on his wife that allegedly began the day after they returned to Canada in 2017

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In this image from video released by Taliban Media in December 2016, US hostage Caitlan Coleman speaks while her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle holds one of their children born in captivity. Photo: AP

Published: 7:19am, 26 Mar 2019Updated: 7:29am, 26 Mar 2019

Former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle has gone on trial in Canada on charges that he repeatedly assaulted his wife.

Boyle faces 19 charges, including sexual assault. A partial gag order was lifted as the trial started Monday, revealing that all but one of the 19 charges relate to his American wife, Caitlan Coleman of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania.

Joshua Boyle and his father Patrick Boyle arrive to court in Ottawa on Monday to face charges that he repeatedly assaulted his wife. Boyle and his wife were taken hostage in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan. Photo: AP

Boyle and his wife were taken hostage in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan. The couple had three children during their five years in captivity. The family was rescued in 2017 by Pakistani forces.

Boyle was arrested in December that year. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to the police, the offences occurred between 14 October – the day Boyle and his family returned to Canada – and 30 December 2017.