Hongchi Xiao, a 61-year-old alternative healer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday (December 6) for the death of Danielle Carr-Gomm, a 71-year-old diabetic woman. Carr-Gomm died during a "slapping therapy" workshop led by Xiao in October 2016 in the United Kingdom. Xiao, who promoted paida lajin therapy, encouraged participants to slap themselves to release "poisonous waste" from their bodies. Critics argue that the technique lacks scientific basis and can cause harm, including bruises and bleeding.
Carr-Gomm, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1999, stopped taking her insulin during the workshop, believing in Xiao's methods. Despite showing severe symptoms, including vomiting and pain, Xiao failed to seek medical help. He was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence at Winchester Crown Court. Justice Robert Bright stated, "You knew from late in the afternoon of day one that Danielle Carr-Gomm had stopped taking her insulin," highlighting Xiao's negligence.
Xiao, originally from Cloudbreak, California, was extradited from Australia, where he had a prior manslaughter conviction for a similar incident involving a six-year-old boy. Despite his convictions, Xiao continued to promote paida lajin therapy in prison. Carr-Gomm's son, Matthew, shared that his mother was desperate for a cure that didn't involve insulin injections and had previously attended Xiao's workshop in Bulgaria, where she also became ill.