An English athletics coach and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist who was reported missing is serving a prison sentence in Morocco after being convicted of sexually assaulting a minor, BBC Sport can reveal.
Leon Baptiste, who was coaching a group of leading British track athletes in the run-up to this summer’s Commonwealth Games and European Championships, suddenly went out of contact more than three months ago.
Neither UK Athletics, where he worked as a consultant sprint coach, nor the sprinters he coached knew why he was absent.
In May, Baptiste sent the athletes a brief message saying he would be away from training “for a while”. They were given no further explanation.
Over the weekend, media reports described Baptiste as “missing” and said he had disappeared in Morocco.
On Tuesday, the athletes received a brief email sent on Baptiste’s behalf in which he resigned from his position, citing unspecified ill health.
A source at the Moroccan Ministry of Justice confirmed to BBC Sport that Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech in May, subsequently convicted and is now serving a custodial sentence at Al-Oudaya prison.
Baptiste was initially sentenced to 10 months in prison, a term later reduced to eight months on appeal.
“In relation to the reports concerning the alleged ‘disappearance of Leon Baptiste’ – an English athletics coach reportedly missing in Morocco for more than two months under questionable circumstances – please note that the information published in this regard is inaccurate and does not reflect the facts of the case,” the source said.
“The foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence.
“He is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following his conviction by the competent judicial authorities in connection with a misdemeanour case.”
The source added that Baptiste, 41, was “in good health”.
A spokesperson for Morocco’s Public Prosecution Office confirmed the sentence and nature of the conviction, adding: “The British national is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following a court judgment against him in connection with his involvement in a criminal case.”
In Morocco, a minor is defined as someone under the age of 18.
Asked about Baptiste, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities.”
Sources told BBC Sport that Baptiste travelled to Marrakech with three other British former athletes, who have all since returned to the UK.
BBC Sport has attempted to contact the athletes but received no response.
Baptiste’s family are understood to be aware of his imprisonment.
His absence left some British sprinters, including Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Dobson and Paralympic silver medallist Zac Shaw, without a designated coach ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and European Championships in Birmingham.
Four-time European gold medallist Adam Gemili and relay coach Martyn Rooney stepped in to provide additional support to the affected athletes.
However, BBC Sport has been told that the sprinters’ training was heavily disrupted during a crucial period of their careers, leaving them frustrated and ill-prepared.
