Paris Hilton, Lawmakers Introduce New Bill Aimed at Stopping Institutional Child Abuse

Paris Hilton Joins Lawmakers to Introduce Bill to Stop Institutional Child Abuse

TV personality Paris Hilton is using her platform to make a difference. On April 27, she joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers and abuse survivors on Capitol Hill to introduce a new bill aimed at preventing the abuse of children in institutional care.

The “Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act” was introduced by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), as well as Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.). Speaking at the Capitol, Hilton shared her own alleged experience of physical and mental abuse at “troubled teen” facilities when she was younger.

“This issue is deeply personal for me,” Hilton said. “What I went through will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Paris Hilton’s Allegations

• Sexual abuse from adult staff
• Verbal and emotional abuse daily
• Yelled at, dehumanized, silenced, and stripped of any semblance of privacy
• Medically sedated and forcibly restrained
• Watched by male members of staff as she showered

Hilton alleged that her parents were completely oblivious to the abuse she was being subjected to at various facilities. “One of many issues with these programs is that parents sign away all their rights and know nothing about what is going on. My family was lied to and manipulated just like so many other families,” she added.

Bill Details

In a 2020 documentary titled “This Is Paris,” Hilton alleged that she had been the victim of emotional and physical abuse as a teenager while attending a boarding school in Utah. She later testified at a state Senate committee hearing at the Utah Capitol, telling lawmakers that she was mentally and physically abused on a daily basis at Provo Canyon School for 11 months at age 17.

The “Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act” is aimed at bolstering oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs across the United States and would implement urgent recommendations to allow for increased data sharing.