Former Commonwealth Games 200m champion Leon Baptiste has been jailed in Morocco after being convicted in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor.
The 41-year-old former British sprinter was reported missing after travelling to Morocco, where he had been working as a consultant sprint coach for UK Athletics.
According to the BBC, a source at Morocco’s Ministry of Justice said Baptiste was taken into custody in Marrakech in May, convicted and sentenced to 10 months in prison at Al-Oudaya prison.
Moroccan authorities said Baptiste was not missing or unaccounted for, adding that he is in good health. The country’s Public Prosecution Office also confirmed that he is currently serving the sentence following a court judgment.
Baptiste had stopped communicating with the athletes he coached more than three months ago. In May, he reportedly sent a brief message informing the sprinters that he would be away from training sessions for a while, without providing further details.
The former athlete, who specialised in the 100m and 200m, won the Commonwealth Games 200m title and was named England Athletics Coach of the Year at the 2023 Sporting Equals Awards.
His absence had raised concerns among the athletes he was coaching and UK Athletics, particularly as the athletes prepared for major championship competitions.
