Leon Baptiste, a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist and the 2023 England Athletics coach of the year, is currently serving a prison sentence in Morocco. The 41-year-old was arrested in Marrakech in May and subsequently convicted of sexually assaulting a minor, a term which in Morocco applies to anyone under the age of 18.
While recent media reports suggested the coach had gone missing, official sources at the Moroccan Ministry of Justice confirmed that Baptiste is being held at Al-Oudaya prison. Although he was initially handed a 10-month sentence, the term was later reduced to eight months following an appeal. Authorities in Morocco have explicitly rejected claims that he was missing or had disappeared under mysterious circumstances, stating that he has remained in custody since his arrest.
The situation became public after Baptiste, who worked as a consultant sprinting coach for UK Athletics, stopped communicating with his athletes over three months ago. In May, he sent a brief message to his training group stating he would be absent “for a while.” On Tuesday, a follow-up email was sent on his behalf announcing his resignation from the role, with the message citing unspecified ill health.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office confirmed they are providing support to a British national detained in Morocco and remain in contact with local authorities. It is understood that Baptiste’s family is aware of his imprisonment. Sources indicated that Baptiste had traveled to Marrakech alongside three other former British athletes, all of whom have since returned to the United Kingdom.
The coach’s sudden departure caused significant disruption for several top British sprinters, including Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Dobson and Paralympic silver medallist Zac Shaw, who were left without a designated coach ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham. To mitigate the impact, four-time European gold medallist Adam Gemili and relay coach Martyn Rooney stepped in to provide assistance to the affected athletes.
Despite these efforts, reports suggest the training disruption occurred during a critical period, leaving the athletes frustrated and ill-prepared for their competitions. Attempts to reach the affected athletes for comment have not been successful, and UK Athletics has been approached regarding the matter.
Baptiste, who won gold in the 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, retired from professional competition at age 28 due to persistent knee injuries. Following reports of his disappearance, investigators reviewed online court records and consulted with various figures in the athletics community to establish the timeline of events, ultimately confirming the details of his conviction through official channels. The report also notes that they have been given no further explanation. The report also notes that 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,” said the source. The report also notes that the foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence. The report also notes that sport has made attempts to contact the athletes but had no reply. The report also notes that how did ‘missing’ reports turn into news of a prison sentence. The report also notes that once Baptiste’s disappearance was reported in the media last weekend, Sport began investigating his whereabouts.
