Missing Athletics Coach Serving Prison Sentence in Morocco
BBC Sport can reveal that Leon Baptiste, a former English athletics coach and gold medallist, is serving a prison sentence in Morocco.
Baptiste, who was coaching several top British track athletes ahead of the Commonwealth Games and European Championships this summer, mysteriously disappeared more than three months ago. Neither UK Athletics nor his athletes knew why he went off the grid.
In May, he sent a message to his athletes saying he’d be absent from training "for a while". They have received no further explanation. Over the weekend, media reports labelled him as "missing" and claimed he had disappeared in Morocco.
On Tuesday, Baptiste sent an email to his former athletes announcing his resignation due to unspecified health issues. A source at the Moroccan Ministry of Justice later confirmed to BBC Sport that Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech in May, convicted, and is now incarcerated in Al-Oudaya prison.
"In relation to… reports concerning the alleged ‘disappearance’ of Leon Baptiste… please note that the information is inaccurate."
The source stated Baptiste is in good health and serving a custodial sentence following his conviction for a misdemeanor. They added it’s not uncommon for such details to be withheld in the Moroccan judicial system.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed they are supporting a British national detained in Morocco, declining to provide further details about Baptiste. Sources told BBC Sport that Baptiste travelled to Marrakech with three other British former athletes who have since returned to the UK.
Baptiste’s family is understood to be aware of his imprisonment.
