A pastor in the United Kingdom has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a man during a baptism ceremony in Birmingham.
Robert Smith, 61, from Brixton, died after drowning at a property on Slade Road in Erdington on 8 October 2023.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Cheryl Bartley, 48, has been charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter over her role as a pastor during the baptism ceremony.
Bartley, who lives in Erdington, is due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 14 May.
The BBC previously reported that Smith was being baptised by Life Changing Ministries in a small pool located in the garden of the property.
The ceremony had been streamed live on the church’s Facebook page, but the broadcast was stopped during the event and the video was later taken down.
Reports at the time said Smith had travelled to Birmingham for the baptism. A Facebook post following his death stated that he had been a member of the church for four years.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS special crime division, said prosecutors had worked closely with West Midlands Police during the investigation.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that she has the right to a fair trial,” he added.
“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
