Alternative healer gets 10 years in UK prison for death of woman at slap therapy workshop

LONDON — An alternative healer who advocated “slapping therapy” to treat a range of maladies was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who stopped taking insulin during one of his workshops. “You knew from late in the afternoon of day one of the fact that Danielle Carr-Gomm had stopped taking her insulin,” the judge said. “Furthermore, you made it clear to her you supported this.” Bright said Xiao only made a “token effort” to get Carr-Gomm to take her insulin once it was too late and had shown no sign of remorse as he continued to promote paida lajin in prison. However, she recorded a video testimonial, calling Xiao a “messenger sent by God” who was “starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of healthcare.” Xiao had congratulated Carr-Gomm when she told other participants at the English retreat that she had stopped taking her insulin.