Leon Baptiste, a 41-year-old British athletics coach and 2010 Commonwealth Games 200m gold medallist, has been serving a prison sentence in Marrakech, Morocco since May 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Baptiste was arrested in Marrakech and has been held in Al-Oudaya prison following conviction in a criminal case related to a misdemeanour [1, 2, 3]. The Moroccan Ministry of Justice stated that "Mr Baptiste did not disappear, nor had he lost contact with his surroundings," confirming his known whereabouts while serving custody after conviction by local judicial authorities [2].
Baptiste coached leading British sprinters in preparation for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and European Championships before losing contact over three months ago [1, 3]. In May 2026, he sent a message to his athletes saying he would be absent from training "for a while," and later resigned from his coaching role in August citing ill health via email to his athletes [1, 3].
Details on Baptiste’s criminal conviction vary. Some sources report only that he was convicted in connection with a misdemeanour without elaborating [1, 2]. However, other sources indicate the conviction was for sexually assaulting a minor under Moroccan law and that Baptiste was initially sentenced to 10 months, reduced to 8 months on appeal [3].
The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is providing support to Baptiste and remains in contact with Moroccan authorities regarding his detention. A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said, "We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities" [2].
The next scheduled development will be the completion of Baptiste’s prison term, which was reduced on appeal to 8 months. His interactions with UK officials and any further legal actions remain under observation.
