Man charged with manslaughter after woman dies at 'slapping therapy' workshop in Wiltshire
A man has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a woman who was attending a slapping therapy workshop at a country hotel in Wiltshire.
Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, died at Cleeve House in Seend where she was taking part in the workshop to help her diabetes on 20 October 2016.
It is understood to have involved paida lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or who slap themselves repeatedly.
Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex, was previously said by her family to have embraced alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.
On Thursday 30 November, Wiltshire Police announced that Hongchi Xiao, 60, of Cloudbreak, California, had been charged with Mrs Carr-Gomm’s manslaughter by gross negligence.
A force spokesman said: “Hongchi Xiao, 60, of Cloudbreak, California, returned to the United Kingdom from Australia on an extradition warrant and has been taken to Gablecross custody in Swindon where he was charged.
“This relates to the death of Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, at Cleeve House in Seend in October 2016.”
The force said the man was due to appear before Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on Friday 1 December.
Mrs Carr-Gomm, who was born in France and moved to the UK aged 21, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999 and struggled to inject insulin due to a fear of needles.
Speaking after her death, her son Matthew Carr-Gomm, who lives in New Zealand, said: “She was always keen to try and find alternative methods of treating and dealing with her diabetes and was very interested in alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.
“I know she was desperate to try and cure herself of this disease.
“She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was adamant that nothing would stop her from living a full life.
“In recent years, mum was in a great place with a partner, a lovely home, and was travelling the world. She had a lot of life left in her.”
He said the death of Mrs Carr-Gomm had come as a “huge shock” to the family.