Hongchi Xiao, a 61-year-old self-proclaimed healer, has been jailed for 10 years for gross negligence manslaughter after the death of a 71-year-old woman who attended one of his “slapping therapy” workshops. Xiao, who has no medical qualifications, ran bizarre Paida Lajin therapy events in the UK, where patients would either be slapped or repeatedly slap themselves.
Danielle Carr-Gomm, a diabetic woman, attended one of Xiao’s week-long workshops in October 2016, despite having a fear of needles and being on insulin medication. Xiao openly criticized the use of insulin and encouraged patients to stop taking their medication, telling Mrs. Carr-Gomm “well done” when she stopped taking her insulin.
The court heard that Mrs. Carr-Gomm became seriously ill after halting her insulin medication, and was left “howling in pain” and unable to respond to questions by the evening of the third day. Despite knowing the consequences of her decision, Xiao failed to get medical help for Mrs. Carr-Gomm and she died the following day.
The court also heard that Xiao had been an “exponent” of Paida Lajin for 10 years and had written a book on the subject. He claimed that the therapy caused “poisonous waste” to be released from the body through patting and slapping parts of the body. The court heard that Xiao did not have medical qualifications or training, and his approach to medicine was considered unorthodox.
The trial heard that Xiao had a previous conviction in Australia, where a six-year-old boy died after being withdrawn from insulin medication at one of his workshops. Despite this, Xiao continued to promote his therapy, including in prison, where he is currently serving a sentence.
The judge sentenced Xiao to 10 years in prison, with a five-year extended licence period, and told him he would be released after serving two-thirds of his sentence and would be liable to be deported back to the US. The judge described Xiao as “dangerous” and said he had shown “no real sign of clear remorse” for Mrs. Carr-Gomm’s death.