'Self-healer' charged with manslaughter after death of 6yo boy
A "self healer" has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a six-year-old Sydney boy who allegedly attended his week-long course in 2015.
Hongchi Xiao, 53, will face Central Local Court on Thursday after arriving in Sydney hours earlier following his extradition from the UK.
Police allege the boy, who was diabetic, and his parents attended a "self-healing" conference in Hurstville between April 22 and 28, 2015.
"Just before 10pm on April 28, 2015 emergency services were called to a nearby hotel in Hurstville, following reports the boy had allegedly been found in an unconscious state," a NSW Police statement said.
The extradition follows negotiations with British authorities who arrested Mr Xiao on April 25 this year over the death of an English grandmother who attended a workshop.
The Sydney boy's mother, father and grandmother were arrested in March and were charged with manslaughter, accused of gross negligence.
They were released on bail.
Xiao allegedly tells patients with serious diseases to stop taking medication and applies what he calls "paidalajin" - a therapy that involves stretching, slapping the skin and fasting.
His website presents him as a medical sage with the "wisdom of a scientist and the spirit of an explorer".
