Slap therapy workshop results in 10-year prison sentence for alternative healer.

A healer who promoted "slapping therapy" for various ailments was given 10 years in prison for the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who stopped taking insulin during one of his workshops.

In October 2016, during a four-day workshop, Hongchi Xiao, 61, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence for not seeking medical assistance for Danielle Carr-Gomm, who was in severe pain and frothing at the mouth.

Xiao, a practitioner from Cloudbreak, California, advocated for the use of lajin therapy, which involves repeatedly slapping oneself to expel "toxic substances" from the body. Although this technique has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine, it lacks scientific evidence and can result in injuries such as bruises, bleeding, or even more severe harm to patients.

Carr-Gomm was one of two of Xiao’s patients who died.

An Australian man was extradited to face charges of manslaughter after a 6-year-old boy died following a workshop he attended in Sydney.

Justice Robert Bright stated during sentencing at Winchester Crown Court that he deemed the defendant dangerous, despite not exhibiting typical traits of other dangerous offenders.

"The judge stated that Danielle Carr-Gomm had stopped taking her insulin from the afternoon of day one, and you had shown support for this decision."

Xiao only made a "token effort" to get Carr-Gomm to take her insulin once it was too late, and she showed no sign of remorse as she continued to promote paida lajin in prison.

In 1999, Carr-Gomm was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and desperately sought a cure that didn't require needles, her son, Matthew, stated.

She attended a previous workshop by Xiao in Bulgaria a few months before her death, where she became seriously ill after ceasing her medication and sought out alternative treatments.

She recorded a video testimonial, describing Xiao as a "divine messenger" who was "initiating a revolution to empower individuals to heal themselves and transform the healthcare system."

Xiao congratulated Carr-Gomm when she informed the other retreat participants that she had stopped taking her insulin.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson stated that by day three, Carr-Gomm was "vomiting, tired and weak, and by the evening she was howling in pain and unable to respond to questions."

A chef who wished to call an ambulance opted to consult with individuals with holistic healing expertise.

According to Atkinson, those who had accepted the defendant's teachings misinterpreted Mrs. Carr-Gomm's condition as a healing crisis.