The well-known socialite and entrepreneur is leveraging her platform to advocate for the reform of the child welfare system, drawing from her own harrowing experiences to push for legislative changes.
- Jun 27, 2024
AceShowbiz - Paris Hilton, the well-known socialite and entrepreneur, recently testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on June 26, 2024, to address the need for better child welfare protections. Aged 43, Hilton shared her own traumatic experiences at youth residential treatment facilities, highlighting the severe abuse she endured and calling for systemic change.
"These programs promised growth, healing and support but instead did not allow me to speak, move freely or look out a window for two years," Hilton recounted. "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."
Hilton's parents enrolled her in a series of boarding schools for troubled teenagers during the '90s, where she experienced the described abuse. She emphasized that her parents were "completely deceived, lied to and manipulated" by the facility's management regarding the inhumane treatment she faced.
“While my experience was not through the foster care system, I know from personal experience the harm that is caused by being placed in youth residential treatment facilities,” she said. "Can you only imagine the experience for youth who were placed by the state and don't have people regularly checking in on them?"
Hilton also recounted the distressing stories of other children, including a 16-year-old boy who died and a 7-year-old who was abused in similar facilities. "As a mom these stories break my heart. The treatment these kids have had to endure is criminal. These kids deserve to grow up in safe, family-centered environments," she stated.
The hearing focused on strengthening child welfare programs through the reauthorization of Title IV-B. Hilton has also been a vocal supporter of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, legislation aimed at increasing transparency within youth facilities and setting guidelines to prevent abuse.
“From my own experience, it has caused me severe post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma that I will have for the rest of my life,” Hilton said. "Why can't we as a society see that these kids are hurting? They need love and kindness, not beatings and restraints."
