What is 'slapping therapy': Paida Lajin risks explained as man convicted over death of diabetic woman

• An alternative therapist has been found guilty gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman at a ‘slapping therapy’ workshop.
• 71-year-old Danielle Carr-Gomm stopped taking her insulin and died after taking part in the retreat led by Xiao Hongchi in Wiltshire in 2016.
• Known as Paida Lajin, ‘slapping therapy’ involves patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

An alternative healer has been convicted of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman at a ‘slapping therapy’ workshop.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, who had type one diabetes, died on October 20, 2016 from diabetic ketoacidosis after she stopped taking her insulin at the event in Wiltshire led by Hongchi Xiao, 61.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) state that Xiao assured Mrs Carr-Gomm that she could be healed by the practice of Paida Lajin, which is said to expel “poisonous waste” from the body through slapping and stretching.

Mrs Carr-Gomm became very unwell after she stopped taking her insulin injections during the workshop, despite this Xiao did not tell her to start taking her insulin or seek medical assistance. Her death was as a direct result of not taking her insulin injections at the ‘slapping therapy’ workshop.

Speaking after the conviction in July, Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “Hongchi Xiao knew the consequences of Danielle Carr-Gomm’s decision to stop taking insulin could be fatal - he had seen it before.”

Ainslie added: “Xiao openly criticised the use of insulin and congratulated Mrs Carr-Gomm on her decision to stop using it at the workshop she was attending in Wiltshire. Once she became extremely unwell, as a result of not taking her medication, he took no action to seek medical assistance or persuade her to take her insulin.”

As Hongchi Xiao is due to be sentenced this month, what is ‘slapping therapy’ and why is it dangerous? Here’s everything you need to know about Paida Lajin.

Who is Xiao Hongchi?

Xiao, is a 61-year-old former investment banker, turned alternative healer. Originally from China, the US national founded the Pailala Institute, based in California. He developed the practice of Paida Lajin, also known as ‘slapping therapy’.

According to his biography on Amazon, he perfected the “previously thought lost” therapy after meeting a monk who told him he was “destined” to study at temples and monasteries across China. It claims he healed “a few thousand people for free”, in Tibet and opened a clinic in Beijing, before going on to promote the practice at workshops around the world.

On July 26, 2024, he was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman at one of his ‘slapping therapy’ workshops in Wiltshire.

What is 'slapping therapy’?

‘Slapping therapy’, also known as Paida Lajin allegedly expels “poisonous waste” from the body through a process which involves slapping and stretching. According to Xiao’s website, it is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an advanced form of cupping.

The former investment banker, had led workshops on ‘slapping therapy’ around the world and made bold claims about its ability to treat a wide variety of health conditions from diabetes to cancer.

In 2015, during an interview with The Hindu newspaper he claimed that a Taoist monk had taught him the practice, explaining: “The slapping and stretching work together to clear the meridians of blocks and help the body get rid of disease.”

However, critics of ‘slapping therapy’ say it has no scientific basis.

What are the risks of Paida Lajin?

This is not the first death linked to Xiao’s ‘slapping therapy’ workshops. In 2015, Diabetes.UK reported that a seven year old boy with type one diabetes had died during a similar retreat in Australia.

Aiden Fenton was found dizzy and vomiting and reportedly hadn’t eaten for three days. Following his death, Xiao was prosecuted and convicted of manslaughter in Australia. The judge at that trial found that Xiao had given instructions to Aiden’s mother to stop injecting him with insulin.

The Samaritans can offer information and support for anyone affected by the content of this article.You can call their helpline on 116 123 or email[email protected]in the UK.