Californian therapist sentenced to 10 years in UK jail over woman's death at 'slap therapy' workshop

A therapist who promoted “slap therapy” to treat many ailments was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who stopped taking insulin at one of his workshops.

Hongchi Xiao, 61, was convicted of negligent homicide for failing to get Danielle Carr-Gomm medical attention when she was crying in pain and foaming at the mouth on the fourth day of the workshop in October 2016.

Xiao, from Cloudbreak, California, advocated paida lajin therapy, which involves patients slapping themselves repeatedly to flush out “toxic waste” from the body. The technique originated in Chinese medicine but critics say it has no scientific basis and patients often end up with bruises, bleeding – or worse.

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

He was extradited from Australia, where he was convicted of manslaughter after a 6-year-old boy died when his parents withdrew his insulin medication after attending a workshop in Sydney.

“I consider you dangerous even though you are not like other dangerous offenders,” said Judge Robert Bright as he handed down the sentence at Winchester Crown Court.

“You knew from early afternoon that Danielle Carr-Gomm had stopped taking insulin,” the judge said. “Moreover, make it clear to him that you support this.”

Bright said Xiao only made an “attempt” to get Carr-Gomm to take his insulin when it was too late and showed no signs of remorse as he continued to promote paida lajin in prison.

Carr-Gomm was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1999 and was eager to find a cure that didn't involve injecting herself with needles, said her son, Matthew.

“He always lived a healthy life and was determined that nothing would stop him from living life to the fullest,” Matthew said, according to the BBC.

He sought alternative treatments and had attended Xiao's workshop in Bulgaria a few months before his death when he too became seriously ill after stopping his medication.

However, he recorded a video testimony, calling Xiao a “messenger sent by God” who was “starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to heal and change the entire health system.”

The court heard that Xiao said “well done” to Carr-Gomm after she told participants she had stopped taking her insulin during a week-long break, the BBC reported.

By the third day, Carr-Gomm was “vomiting, tired and weak, and by the evening she was crying in pain and unable to answer questions,” prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said.

The chef who wanted to drive an ambulance said he deferred to those with extensive medical experience.

“Those who received and accepted the defendant's teachings misinterpreted Mrs. Carr-Gomm's condition as a healing problem,” Atkinson said.

The BBC reported that when sentencing Xiao on Friday, Bright said: “Congratulate him.” [Danielle] when you find out that you stopped using insulin. You failed to call for emergency medical help when you of all people knew he would die without insulin. I believe he will continue to practice. There is a danger that you will actively or tacitly encourage your followers to reduce their medication.”