FILE - Stock image of water. (Getty Images)
A pastor has been charged with manslaughter after a man drowned during a baptism ceremony, according to officials.
Dig deeper:
Robert Smith, 61, of Brixton, south London in the United Kingdom, drowned during a baptism ceremony at a home in 2023.
Smith had been in the U.K. for 25 years after moving from Jamaica, The Guardian reported. He had been a member of the church for four years before his death.
The ceremony took place in a small pool on the property’s garden and was streamed live on the church’s Facebook page. The video has since been removed, according to the BBC.
Cheryl Bartley, 48, has been charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to her role as a pastor during the baptism, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Emergency services were called to the home located on Slade Road, in Erdington on Oct. 8, 2023, but medical personnel were unable to save Smith. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Guardian.
What they're saying:
"Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. We have worked closely with West Midlands Police as it has carried out its investigation," Malcolm McHaffie, Head of the Special Crime Division, said in a CPS news release. "It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."
What's next:
Bartley is scheduled to appear in court on May 14.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The BBC, The Guardian and a news release from the Crown Prosecution Service website. This story was reported from San Jose.