‘Missing’ British athletics coach & gold medallist Leon Baptiste, 41, jailed in Morocco for sexually assaulting child

A BRITISH athletics coach has been jailed for in Morocco for sexually assaulting a child – after media reports said he had gone “missing”. Gold medallist Leon Baptiste, 41, went off the grid three months ago while he was coaching top English runners ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Leon Baptiste is in Morocco serving a 10-month sentence Credit: Getty Leon Baptiste disappeared nearly four months ago. Credit: Getty His colleagues and those he coached had no idea why he had mysteriously disappeared and had no contact with him from then on. But it has now been revealed that the athlete is serving a prison sentence for sexually assaulting a minor in Morocco. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! The running coach had sent a message to the athletes he was training in May, explaining that he would be absent from practice “for a while”. The group were given no further details and were left in the dark over the next few months. Leon Baptiste is a gold medallist and top coach Credit: Getty He told colleagues in May he would be absent ‘for a while’ Credit: Getty Over the weekend, he was reported as “missing” by the media and outlets began claiming he had disappeared in Morocco. On Tuesday, a short email sent to his runners said that Baptiste – the 200m gold medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – had resigned. The message cited unspecified ill health. But shortly after, a source at the Moroccan Ministry of Justice told BBC Sport that Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech in May. Most read in Sport Baptiste celebrates his win in the 200m final of the Track and Field competition of the XIX Commonwealth Games on October 10, 2010 in New Delhi Credit: AFP Baptiste was said to be missing in media reports, but it has now been revealed he is in jail Credit: Jam Press/Leon Baptiste He was then convicted and is now serving a custodial sentence in Al-Oudaya prison. The source said: “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. “The foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence. “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.” They said the former track runner is currently “in good health”. In Morocco, a minor is deemed to be under 18. A spokesperson for the Morocco Public Prosecution Office said: “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.” Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office said: “We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities.” Baptiste reportedly travelled to Marrakech with the other ex-British athletes, who have all since returned to the UK. His family are understood to be aware of his imprisonment. Baptiste’s seemingly mysterious absence had left several British sprinters without a coach ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, as well as the European Championships in Birmingham this summer. Those he trained included Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Dobson and Paralympic silver medallist Zac Shaw. To replace him, four-time European gold medallist Adam Gemili and relay coach Martyn Rooney stepped in to help the athletes affected by Baptiste’s sudden absence. The runners who were suddenly abandoned by him were understood to be severely affected by his disappearance. Many said they were ill-prepared for competitions and frustrated after having been left alone at a critical point in their careers, BBC reported. Baptiste won double gold in the 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He retired in 2014 to become an athletics coach.