THE SON of a woman who died at a Chinese “slapping therapy” workshop in Wiltshire has hit out at police and prosecutors, claiming two UK nationals arrested in the wake of the death have escaped justice.

Grandmother-of-two Danielle Carr-Gomm was found dead at Cleeve House, a hotel in Seend, in October 2016.

The 71-year-old from Lewes, east Sussex, had been taking part in a week-long self-healing workshop run by Hongchi Xiao, the founder of Paida Lajin therapy. Workshop participants paid up to £750 to “have toxins removed from the body” through hard and repeated slapping.

Three years on, prosecutors have given policethe green light to charge the Chinese healer who ran the workshop with manslaughter by gross negligence. Salisbury magistrates have issued a warrant for the arrest of Xiao, 56, whose registered address is in California. Police say they are working with the appropriate authorities to ensure Xiao stands trial.

Two others arrested at the time have been told they will face no further action.

That decision has prompted anger from Danielle’s son. Matthew Carr-Gomm, a 46-year-old IT consultant from Surrey, said: “I am extremely outraged, completely dismayed and feel really let down by Wiltshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service on account of the fact they have dropped any action against the promoter and another.”

Salim Jodiyawalla, said to have charged participants £750 for a place on the week-long workshop, promoted the event. He is director of three companies registered in central London and Harrow.

Another, Swindon-based Joanna Hartl, is a trustee of The Family Federation of World Peace and Unification – colloquially known as the Moonies. The charity owns Cleeve House.

Both were said to have been arrested in the wake of the death, but it is understood no further action will be taken against the pair.

Mr Carr-Gomm said: “My personal feeling is this guy [Mr Jodiyawalla] promoted the event, he created the posters, he was charging £750 per person coming to this event and workshop. He was running it as a business and profiting out of it.

“He’s got away with it scot-free and it doesn’t sit right with me.

“There’s no responsibility. No accountability. I think it’s alarming that in this day and age in the UK that alternative therapies such as this is allowed to go completely unregulated.

“I think it’s cavalier. There is no protection afforded to people swept away by alternative therapies.”

He said he planned to petition the government, asking for the law to be changed so people who operate groups promoting alternative therapies are “as accountable as a company director”.

Mr Carr-Gomm, who paid tribute to “fond grandmother” Danielle, added: “I’m happy that this quack is being held to account, but quite frankly it’s little consolation when actually the people who should be answerable, standing trial and facing justice have just been let off.”

The Adver approached Ms Hartl in Gorse Hill yesterday. She declined to comment. Mr Jodiyawalla said: “I have got no comment.”

The CPS and Wiltshire Police made no further comment.

Former investment banker Hongchi Xiao is said to have been taught the rudiments of “slapping therapy” by a Taoist monk.

He has claimed the Paida Lajin therapy can cure cancers and diabetes, with the technique based on Chinese traditions of slapping the skin to draw out “sha” – claimed to be a sign of latent disease.

Controversy has dogged Mr Xiao, with the technique linked to deaths and critics claiming the bruising is not “sha” but broken blood vessels.

In a social media post, published on the Paida Lajin Facebook page a month after Mrs Carr-Gorm’s death, Mr Xiao addressed reports linking his form of treatment with deaths around the world.

He compared the therapy to conventional hospital treatments, adding: “Does Paida Lajin self-healing method have any shortcomings? Yes, of course. The biggest shortcoming is the superb healing effect.”