Missing athletics coach Leon Baptiste serving prison sentence in Morocco, BBC Sport reveals

Leon Baptiste, a British athletics coach and former gold medallist, who was reported missing in Morocco, is currently serving a prison sentence in the country, BBC Sport has revealed. Baptiste, who coached several top British track athletes in the lead-up to major championships, had been out of contact for over three months. Neither UK Athletics, where he worked as a consultant sprinting coach, nor the athletes he trained knew his whereabouts. He had sent a brief message in May stating he would be absent from training "for a while," with no further explanation provided.

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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.

Over the weekend, media reports surfaced claiming Baptiste had gone missing in Morocco. On Tuesday, an email was sent to the athletes he coached, including the 2010 Commonwealth Games 200m gold medallist, in which he resigned from his position, citing unspecified ill health. This resignation came after his disappearance from training.

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The foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence.

A source within the Moroccan Ministry of Justice confirmed to BBC Sport that Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech in May. He has since been convicted and is now serving a custodial sentence at Al-Oudaya prison. The source stated that reports of his disappearance were inaccurate, emphasizing that he had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to an unexplained absence. The British national is reportedly in good health, though details of his conviction and sentence length were not disclosed, which the source noted is not uncommon in the Moroccan judicial system.

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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.

A spokesperson for the Morocco Public Prosecution Office corroborated the detention, stating the British national is serving a sentence following a court judgment related to his involvement in a criminal case. The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting a British national detained in Morocco and is in contact with local authorities. Baptiste, 41, had traveled 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.

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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.