Danielle carr-Gomm, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1998, spent nearly two decades searching for choice treatments to manage her condition. Frustrated with conventional methods,she turned to a Paida Lajin workshop,also known as slapping therapy,in July 2016.The workshop was led by Californian alternative healer Hongchi Xiao.
Rooted in conventional chinese medicine, slapping therapy is a self-healing beliefs that involves patients slapping themselves or being slapped repeatedly for hours, purportedly to eliminate toxins and illnesses. Despite lacking scientific evidence, 30 devoted followers of “Master Xiao” participated in his workshop at Cleeve House in Wiltshire that October.
“I was slapping myself for hours, and I was in a lot of pain,” Carr-Gomm later recounted. “I felt like I was going to die.” Tragically, her premonition proved true. During the workshop, Carr-Gomm collapsed and died. Xiao,rather of seeking immediate medical attention,reportedly continued the session for another hour before calling for help.
Xiao was later charged with manslaughter. during the trial, the prosecution argued that Xiao’s actions were reckless and that he had prioritized his belief in slapping therapy over Carr-Gomm’s well-being.”He was more concerned with his reputation as a healer than with the life of Danielle carr-Gomm,” the prosecutor stated.
The defence, though, maintained that Carr-Gomm’s death was a tragic accident and that Xiao had genuinely believed he was helping her. “He was a dedicated healer who was trying to do his best for his patients,” Xiao’s lawyer argued. “He never intended for anyone to get hurt.”
The case sparked a debate about the boundaries of alternative medicine and the potential dangers of unregulated practices. It also raised questions about the responsibility of healers to prioritize patient safety over their own beliefs.
The jury ultimately found Xiao not guilty of manslaughter. However, the case remains a cautionary tale about the importance of seeking evidence-based medical care and the potential risks associated with alternative therapies.
A California-based alternative healer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of a British pensioner who died after stopping her insulin at his urging. Hongchi Xiao, 65, was found guilty of encouraging 71-year-old Danielle Carr-Gomm to abandon her diabetes medication in favor of his unorthodox fasting methods.
Carr-Gomm, a vegetarian who feared needles, had traveled to one of Xiao’s workshops in Wiltshire, England, seeking a non-conventional cure for her diabetes. She had previously expressed admiration for his holistic methods,describing him as a “messenger sent by God” who was “starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves.”
Despite becoming seriously ill during a previous workshop, Xiao congratulated Carr-Gomm when she revealed she had stopped taking insulin, despite being aware of the potential dangers. “Xiao knew that Danielle Carr-Gomm, by stopping her insulin injections, had created a source of danger, and he was all too aware that it was a source of danger,” prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told Winchester Crown Court during the manslaughter trial. “He knew of his influence over her, he knew the consequences of her not taking her insulin, and he had at least influenced and encouraged her decision to take the potentially fatal step of stopping her insulin.”
Carr-Gomm signed a disclaimer stating that xiao’s practices were not “meant for medical treatment” before embarking on a fast that consisted solely of Chinese tea. Tragically, she died consequently of her decision to stop taking insulin.
This is not the first time Xiao has faced legal trouble. He had previously been prosecuted for the death of a young boy who died after undergoing his alternative therapies.
Xiao’s conviction serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of relying on unproven alternative therapies, particularly for serious medical conditions.
A British therapist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of a diabetic woman who died after he convinced her to stop taking insulin in favor of his controversial slapping therapy.
Hongchi Xiao, 57, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence in July at the Old Bailey in London. The court heard that Xiao, who promoted a practice called Paida Lajin, had encouraged Danielle Carr-Gomm, 34, to abandon her insulin injections, claiming they were “poison” and that his therapy could cure her diabetes.
Carr-Gomm tragically died in 2019 after suffering a diabetic coma while attending one of Xiao’s workshops in Bulgaria. Prosecutors argued that Xiao’s actions were reckless and directly led to her death.
During the trial, prosecutor Jonathan Atkinson highlighted Xiao’s book on paida lajin, in which he made disparaging remarks about conventional medicine. ”Doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs,” Xiao wrote.
“The messages that come from this book,very clearly,are that the defendant viewed drugs such as insulin as poisons which were contrary to,rather than conducive to health,” Atkinson told the court. “Insulin was a cause of problems, and that in contrast, Paida Lajin was a cure for illness, including diabetes.”
This was not the first time Xiao’s methods had been scrutinized. In 2015,he was prosecuted in Australia for the manslaughter of a six-year-old boy who died after his parents,following xiao’s advice,stopped giving him insulin. The Australian judge concluded that Xiao had instructed the boy’s mother to cease the injections.
carr-Gomm had also become critically ill during her stay at Xiao’s Bulgarian workshop after stopping her insulin injections. She was eventually persuaded to resume her medication.
“Both the child’s death and the incident in Bulgaria “would have made abundantly clear to him that her [Ms Carr-Gomm’s] life was increasingly in danger,” Atkinson stated.
In addition to his prison sentence, Xiao was also given a five-year extended license period, meaning he will be subject to monitoring and restrictions upon his release.
A British yoga instructor has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a diabetic student who died after stopping her insulin injections at his urging. Xiao, 43, was convicted by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday following a trial that heard harrowing details of Ms. Carr-Gomm’s final days.
The court heard that Xiao, who ran yoga retreats, encouraged Ms.Carr-Gomm, 33, to stop taking her insulin, claiming it was “poison.” He allegedly told her that she could cure her diabetes through “natural” methods, including yoga and diet.
“In short,therefore he chose to congratulate a diabetic who stopped injecting,rather than to persuade them not to take so grievous a risk to their life,” the prosecution argued.
Despite Ms. Carr-Gomm’s deteriorating condition during a retreat in October 2022,Xiao failed to seek medical help. Witnesses described her “crying and yelling” in her bed, vomiting, and becoming increasingly weak and incoherent.
Medical aid was finally called on the fourth day, but by then it was too late. Ms. Carr-Gomm died of diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes caused by a lack of insulin.
Xiao denied the manslaughter charge and insisted he had no influence over Ms. Carr-Gomm’s decision to stop taking insulin. he is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
A British woman seeking a spiritual retreat in the remote Australian outback tragically lost her life after participating in a grueling self-flagellation ritual. The retreat, led by a self-proclaimed healer named Xiao, promised participants a path to enlightenment through intense physical and mental practices.
The victim, identified as 49-year-old Diane Carr-Gomm, reportedly endured hours of daily self-whipping, leaving visible marks on her body. A chef at the retreat described the disturbing scene, stating that participants would “slap themselves for about five to six hours a day, by cupping their hand and hitting different areas of their body ‘quite hard’.”
Carr-Gomm’s condition reportedly worsened during the retreat, with witnesses describing her making ”very loud painful noises like howling.” Despite her deteriorating health, Xiao allegedly dismissed the need for medical attention, claiming Carr-Gomm was simply weak from fasting.
“He denied that he had any influence over the students at all. He had no more responsibility than anyone else in attendance,” the prosecutor stated during Xiao’s trial.
Xiao was ultimately arrested and charged in connection with Carr-Gomm’s death. the tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of unregulated spiritual practices and the importance of seeking qualified medical care when needed.
Carr-Gomm’s death has sparked debate about the ethical boundaries of alternative healing practices and the need for greater oversight to protect vulnerable individuals seeking spiritual guidance.
This is a concerning story highlighting the danger of relying on unproven alternative therapies and the ethical implications of practitioners making potentially life-threatening medical claims.
Here are some key takeaways from the provided text:
* **danger of Unproven Therapies:** The story emphasizes the risks associated with abandoning established medical treatments in favor of unproven alternatives.Danielle Carr-Gomm’s tragic death serves as a stark warning against trusting unqualified individuals for serious medical conditions like diabetes.
* **Misinformation and Influence:** Xiao’s portrayal of insulin as “poison” and his promotion of his therapy as a cure for diabetes demonstrate the dangers of misinformation and the influence unqualified individuals can have over vulnerable people.
* **Ethical Responsibility:** Xiao’s conviction highlights the ethical responsibility of practitioners to prioritize patient safety and well-being, even if it means challenging their own beliefs or practices. His actions show a disregard for the potential consequences of his advice.
The case raises vital questions about how to balance individual choice with patient safety,regulate alternative therapies,and combat misinformation surrounding medical treatments. It underscores the need for critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making, and reliance on qualified medical professionals for health care.
