The wife of the former Taliban hostage accused of sexual assault and forcible confinement said the “strain and trauma” he endured during nearly five years of captivity are to blame, according to a new report.

Joshua Boyle, the Canadian man freed in October after being abducted with his wife in Afghanistan, is facing 15 charges including assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement and uttering death threats, his lawyer said Tuesday.

“I can’t speak about the specific charges, but I can say that ultimately it is the strain and trauma he was forced to endure for so many years and the effects that that had on his mental state that is most culpable for this,” Boyle’s wife, Caitlin, said in a statement to the Toronto Star.

After the couple was freed with their three children born in captivity, Caitlin Coleman Boyle, 31, recounted how she was beaten and raped by their Taliban-linked Haqqani captors.

The couple also said one of Caitlin’s pregnancies was forcibly terminated after Joshua, 35, refused to join the terrorist group.

“Obviously, he is responsible for his own actions,” she wrote in her statement, “but it is with compassion and forgiveness that I say I hope help and healing can be found for him. As to the rest of us, myself and the children, we are healthy and holding up as well as we can.”

Boyle’s alleged victims were not identified due to a publication ban.

“Mr. Boyle is presumed innocent. He’s never been in trouble before … We look forward to receiving the evidence and defending him against these charges,” his lawyer, Eric Granger, said in an email.

Ottawa police brought the charges Dec. 30, and Boyle has been in jail since then. He was due to make a brief court appearance Wednesday.