Paris Hilton says she was abused as teen at Utah faculty

Paris Hilton testified about abuse she says she suffered years in the past at a boarding faculty in Utah, as she lobbied Monday for a invoice searching for to control the state’s troubled teen trade.
Hilton was despatched to Provo Canyon School for 11 months at age 17 the place she says she was abused mentally and bodily, recalling that employees members would beat her, power her to take unknown drugs, watch her bathe and ship her to solitary confinement with out garments as punishment. The socialite and actuality TV star additionally spoke in regards to the abuse in a documentary titled This is Paris that was launched this fall.
Hilton testified at a state Senate committee listening to on the Utah Capitol in favor of the invoice that will require extra authorities oversight of youth residential therapy facilities and require them to doc once they use restraints. The measure handed unanimously following emotional testimony from Hilton and a number of other different survivors.
“Talking about something so personal was and is still terrifying,” Hilton advised the committee. “But I can not go to sleep at night knowing that there are children that are experiencing the same abuse that I and so many others went through, and neither should you.”
Paris Hilton testified in entrance of state lawmakers weighing new rules for the trade. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The 39-year-old mentioned the therapy was so “traumatizing” that she has suffered nightmares and insomnia for years.
The Provo establishment is now below new possession and the administration has mentioned it may possibly’t touch upon something that got here earlier than the change, together with Hilton’s time there. A press release on the varsity web site says the earlier homeowners bought the varsity in 2000.
Since the documentary was launched, different celebrities have spoken out about their experiences on the faculty or others prefer it, together with Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson and tattoo artist Kat Von D.

During her testimony, Hilton known as on President Joe Biden and leaders in Congress to take motion and mentioned she intends to pursue federal laws.
“This is just the first step,” Hilton advised reporters. “This bill is going to definitely help a lot of children but there’s obviously more work to do, and I’m not going to stop until change happens.”