Ex-Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Leon Baptiste Found In Moroccan Prison After ‘Missing’ Reports.

 

Former British sprinter and athletics coach Leon Baptiste has been jailed in Morocco after being convicted of sexually assaulting a minor, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding his reported disappearance.

Baptiste, 41, a former 200-metre Commonwealth Games gold medallist and consultant sprint coach for UK Athletics, had reportedly travelled to Morocco for work before losing contact with colleagues and athletes under his coaching.

In May, Baptiste reportedly informed the group of athletes he coached that he would be away from training “for a while”. However, no further explanation was given, and reports later emerged that he had gone missing while in Morocco.

The situation became clearer after a source at Morocco’s Ministry of Justice confirmed that Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech in May, subsequently convicted by the country’s judicial authorities and is now serving a custodial sentence at Al-Oudaya prison.

The source dismissed reports that the former athlete had disappeared, insisting that the information circulating about his alleged disappearance did not reflect the facts of the case.

“The foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence,” the source said.

The Moroccan authorities confirmed that Baptiste is currently being held in prison following his conviction in connection with a criminal case and added that he was in good health.

A spokesperson for Morocco’s Public Prosecution Office also confirmed the nature of the conviction, stating that the British national was serving a prison sentence following a court judgment over his involvement in a criminal case.

In Morocco, anyone under the age of 18 is legally regarded as a minor.

Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office said it was providing support to a British national detained in Morocco and remained in contact with the relevant authorities.