CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse.
Paris Hilton has bravely opened up about the extent of sexual, physical and psychological abuse she endured while institutionalised as a teenager in a testimony at Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
The billionaire hotel heiress, OG influencer and advocate for child welfare has been a vocal critic of correctional youth facilities ever since the release of her 2020 tell-all documentary This Is Paris.
“I am here to be the voice for the children whose voices can’t be heard,” Hilton told members of the House Ways and Means Committee.
“The treatment these kids have had to endure is criminal.”
Her testimony comes after a damning watchdog report from the US Department of Health and Human Services found that states were not adequately tracking abuses. The report found that more than a dozen states don’t track when multiple abuses occur at the same foster care facility.
The report comes after a Senate Finance Committee probe found that children are subjected to abuse while in the care of foster care facilities that receive government funding.
While Hilton was not a foster child herself, her experience in youth facilities is comparable to allegations that have been made by other children.
“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,” Hilton said in her opening remarks.
“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.”
She went on to explain the extent of the abuse, which included being force-fed medications, sexual abuse and violent, physical and psychological abuse.
“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.
“My parents were completely deceived, lied to and manipulated by this for-profit industry about the inhumane treatment I was experiencing,” she said. “So, can you only imagine the experience for youth who are placed by the state and don’t have people regularly checking in on them?”
Hilton’s comments come after 16-year-old boy Cornelius Fredericks died in a care facility after being physically restrained, face down, for 12 minutes as a punishment for throwing food. The facility later audited its policies, but various US reports indicate that abuse at these facilities is not an isolated incident.
“I will not stop until America’s youth is safe,” Hilton said in her testimony.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
The post Paris Hilton Says She Was ‘Force-Fed Medications’ And ‘Sexually Abused’ In Emotional Testimony appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
