Force-fed medications, sexually abused: Paris Hilton shares harrowing teen experiences
In a House committee session on Wednesday, socialite and businesswoman Paris Hilton recounted the abuse she suffered while in the foster care system. The 43-year-old heiress detailed her experiences as a teen when she endured sexual assault, physical restraint, and forced medication in youth care programs. "These programs promised healing, growth, and support but instead did not allow me to speak, move freely, or even look out a window for two years," Hilton shared.
'Ripped from my bed...'
Hilton elaborated on the alleged abuse she experienced as a teen. "When I was 16 years old, I was ripped from my bed in the middle of the night and transported across state lines to the first of four youth residential treatment facilities." "I was force-fed medications and sexually abused by the staff. I was violently restrained and dragged down hallways, stripped naked, and thrown into solitary confinement," she stated in her testimony.
'There's blood on the walls'
A fierce Hilton said, "This $23B industry sees this population (of vulnerable children) as dollar signs and operates without meaningful oversight." "There's no education in these places, there's mold and blood on the walls. It's horrifying what these places are like. They're worse than some dog kennels." "They're caring more about profit." She wants the government to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which, per The Guardian, is "designed to strengthen oversight of residential youth programs."
Hilton advocates for children in similar situations
She has testified in state legislatures and on Capitol Hill, supporting laws designed to protect children from what she terms an "inhumane money-making industry." She added, "It has caused me severe post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma that will affect me for the rest of my life." Her advocacy for children reportedly began following the release of her 2020 documentary This Is Paris, which exposed the alleged abuses she suffered at Provo Canyon School.
Hilton received a positive response during the hearing
Responding to Hilton, Democratic Representative Bill Pascrell said, "We must always be concerned about fraud and guard against Wall Street vultures snatching public funds to line their pockets...we cannot allow the private equity octopus to reach its tentacles into child services." Moreover, in her testimony, Hilton spoke about how her parents were "deceived" and "manipulated" and did not know the truth about these institutions.
