Slapping Therapy Workshop Ends in Death, Healer from California Refutes Manslaughter

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• A 60-year-old California-based alternative healer, Hongchi Xiao, denies manslaughter charges after the death of a 71-year-old diabetic grandmother, Danielle Carr-Gomm, during a 'slapping therapy' workshop.
• Carr-Gomm died in October 2016 at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, while attending a workshop for her diabetes.
• The workshop involved 'paida lajin therapy', which includes repeated slapping or self-slapping as a treatment method.

Hongchi Xiao, a 60-year-old alternative healer from Cloudbreak, California, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence in the case of Danielle Carr-Gomm, a 71-year-old grandmother who died during a 'slapping therapy' workshop at a country hotel.

The incident occurred at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, on October 20, 2016, where Carr-Gomm was participating in a workshop intended to aid her diabetes.

The therapy, known as 'paida lajin', involves patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly. Carr-Gomm, originally from Lewes, East Sussex, was a proponent of alternative and holistic medicine. She died from complications related to diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe condition due to insulin deficiency.

Xiao was charged following his extradition to the UK from Australia and appeared at Winchester Crown Court for a preliminary hearing. Jessica Clarke, defending Xiao, noted Carr-Gomm's avid involvement in such alternative practices. The trial is set for June 26, with a case management hearing on February 8. Xiao remains in custody until then.

Carr-Gomm, who moved to the UK from France at age 21, had been diagnosed with diabetes in 1999 and sought alternative treatments due to a fear of needles. Her family described her as eager to explore different methods to manage her condition, emphasizing her healthy lifestyle and zest for life. The news of her death was a significant shock to her family.

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