New South Wales police extradict 'self-healer' Hongchi Xiao from London over death of six-year-old boy at conference
Sunday, August 20, 2017
On Thursday, the New South Wales, Australia police extradited 'self-healer' Hongchi Xiao, age reportedly 53 or 54, from London, United Kingdom over the death at his conference, allegedly from diabetic ketoacidosis, of a six-year-old boy. Xiao was arrested at Sydney International Airport at about 5:00AM, taken to Kogarah Police Station, and charged with manslaughter. Xiao appeared in Sydney Central Local Court. Local Court Magistrate L Mabbutt refused bail for Xiao. Xiao was ordered to appear in Court on October 24.
Xiao had practiced a self-healing technique, "Paida Lajin", that involves slapping, stretching, and fasting.
The boy died at Xiao's conference at Tasly Healthpac Medical Centre, Hurstville, held April 22–28, 2015. According to allegations at the court hearing on Thursday, Xiao recommended to the boy's parents not to give him insulin. The Court was also told the boy became ill and unable to walk.
On April 28, 2015 at about 10:00PM, the boy was found unconscious at a Forest Road hotel in Hurstville. Emergency personnel were called and tried to resuscitate the boy, but couldn't revive him. He was pronounced dead.
Last year, Xiao said in a video, "This is purely an accident[...] This has nothing to do with the workshop. This boy had a lot of diseases, more than we ever know."
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the patient has high blood sugar for long periods, which causes complications that may be life-threatening. Regular insulin injections are a standard treatment for diabetes.
The boy's mother, father, and grandmother — ages 41, 56, and 64 — were also charged with manslaughter at the Blacktown Police Station in March 2017, and they have been released on bail.
The extradition followed arrest of Hongchi Xiao in London in April this year. Xiao was also investigated by British police regarding the death, during Xiao's therapy in south-west England last October, of 71-year-old Danielle Carr-Gomm.
Sources[edit]
- Lisa Robinson (AAP). "Chinese 'slapping therapist' behind bars" — Yahoo! News, August 17, 2017
- "Chinese medical spruiker Hongchi Xiao extradited over death of Sydney boy, 6" — The Sydney Morning Herald, August 17, 2017
- "R v Hong Chi XIAO" — New South Wales, August 17, 2017
- AAP. "Chinese 'slap therapist' charged with manslaughter over boy's death" — Special Broadcasting Service, August 17, 2017
- Jessica Kidd. "'Self-healer' extradited from UK, charged with manslaughter of 6yo Sydney boy" — ABC News (Australia), August 17, 2017
- Chloe Farand. "Chinese 'slapping therapist' charged over six-year-old death and extradited from UK" — The Independent, August 17, 2017
- Paige Cockburn. "Hongchi Xiao arrested in London over death of Sydney boy after self-healing conference" — ABC News (Australia), May 9, 2017
- Patrick Begley. "Grandmother charged with manslaughter over diabetic boy's death" — The Sydney Morning Herald, March 22, 2017
- "Parents charged with manslaughter over 6yo boy's death in Hurstville hotel" — ABC News (Australia), March 15, 2017