English athletics coach Leon Baptiste, who had been the subject of media reports suggesting he had gone missing, is in fact serving a prison sentence in Morocco, BBC Sport has exclusively revealed.
The revelation clarifies a story that had caused concern within British athletics circles, where Baptiste had been known as a coach associated with English sprinting talent. The specific charges and circumstances leading to his imprisonment in Morocco have not been fully disclosed.
Baptiste's case raises questions about the circumstances under which British athletes and coaches travel abroad, as well as the information flow between sports governing bodies and athletes' welfare organisations when a person associated with the sport is reported missing.
BBC Sport's investigation into Baptiste's whereabouts appears to have resolved the mystery of his disappearance. The wider athletics community in the United Kingdom is expected to reflect on the implications of the case for athlete and coach welfare protocols.
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