British Athletics Coach Leon Baptiste, 41, Sentenced in Morocco for Sexual Assault on a Minor After Going Missing
A BRITISH athletics coach and former gold medalist has been sentenced to 10 months in prison in Morocco for the sexual assault of a minor, following reports of his alleged disappearance.
Leon Baptiste, 41, inexplicably went missing nearly four months ago while training elite English athletes for the Commonwealth Games.
His team and the athletes he coached were left without any information about his whereabouts or any form of communication from him.
It has now come to light that he is imprisoned for sexually assaulting a minor while in Morocco.
The coach had informed the athletes he was training in May that he would be taking a break from practice “for a while.”
Details remained scarce, leaving them in the dark for the subsequent months.
Recent reports deemed him “missing” over the weekend, indicating he had disappeared in Morocco.
On Tuesday, a brief email sent to his runners stated that Baptiste – who won the 200m gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – had resigned.
The email mentioned unspecified health issues.
However, a source from the Moroccan Ministry of Justice later informed BBC Sport that Baptiste had been arrested in Marrakech back in May.
He was ultimately convicted and is now serving his sentence at Al-Oudaya prison.
The source remarked: “Regarding the claims about the alleged ‘disappearance of Leon Baptiste’ – a British athletics coach reportedly unaccounted for in Morocco for over two months under questionable circumstances – please note that the information being circulated is not accurate and does not reflect the reality of the situation.
“The individual in question did not sever communication with his environment and was neither missing nor absent without reason.
“He is currently detained at the local prison in Marrakech, serving a custodial sentence following his conviction by the relevant judicial authorities for a misdemeanour.”
They confirmed that the former athlete is “in good health.”
In Morocco, individuals below the age of 18 are considered minors.
A representative from the Morocco Public Prosecution Office stated: “The British national is presently imprisoned in Marrakech, serving a custodial sentence following a court ruling linked to criminal conduct.”
Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office released a statement affirming: “We are providing assistance to a British national detained in Morocco and are in communication with the appropriate authorities.”
Baptiste reportedly traveled to Marrakech with other former British athletes, who have all since returned to the UK.
His family is believed to be aware of his circumstances.
Baptiste’s abrupt absence has left several British sprinters without coaching leading up to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham this summer.
Among those he trained were Olympic bronze medalist Charlie Dobson and Paralympic silver medalist Zac Shaw.
To address this gap, four-time European gold medalist Adam Gemili and relay coach Martyn Rooney have stepped in to assist the athletes affected by Baptiste’s sudden exit.
Stay tuned for further updates… For the latest news on this story, continue to check back with The Sun Online.
Thesun.co.uk is your trusted source for top celebrity news, real-life stories, stunning photos, and can’t-miss videos.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us on TikTok @TheSun.