Paris Hilton Testified Against Boarding School that Strip Searched Her at 16
Paris Hilton testified in court against a Utah boarding school that she says abused her when she was 16 years old.
"My name is Paris Hilton, I am an institutional abuse survivor and I speak today on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of children currently in residential care facilities across the United States," Hilton said in front of the Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee. "For the past 20 years, I have had a recurring nightmare where I'm kidnapped in the middle of the night by two strangers, strip-searched, and locked in a facility. I wish I could tell you that this haunting nightmare was just a dream, but it is not."
Hilton was describing her treatment at the Provo Canyon School, adding, "I was verbally, mentally and physically abused on a daily basis. I was cut off from the outside world and stripped of all my human rights."
She also said she was forced to take pharmaceuticals without a prescription.
"Without a diagnosis, I was forced to consume medication that made me feel numb and exhausted. I didn't breathe fresh air or see the sunlight for 11 months. There was zero privacy — every time I would use the bathroom or take a shower — it was monitored. At 16 years old — as a child — I felt their piercing eyes staring at my naked body. I was just a kid and felt violated every single day.”
Hilton was sent to the boarding school by her parents for 11 months because they didn’t like how she was partying.
"It was supposed to be a school, but [classes] were not the focus at all," Hilton continued. “"From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, it was all day screaming in my face, yelling at me, continuous torture," Hilton alleged. "The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me. I think it was their goal to break us down. And they were physically abusive, hitting and strangling us. They wanted to instill fear in the kids so we'd be too scared to disobey them."
Hilton’s classmates also spoke out against the school, and echoed what she said.
"I tell my story not so that anyone feels bad for me, but to shine a light on the reality of what happened then and is still happening NOW," said Hilton. "The people who work at, run, and fund these programs should be ashamed of themselves. How can people live with themselves knowing this abuse is happening?"
The school has denied the allegations, stating “We do not condone or promote any form of abuse. Any and all alleged/suspected abuse is reported immediately to our state regulatory authorities, law enforcement and Child Protective Services, as required. We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special, and often complex, emotional, behavioral and psychiatric needs."
It makes little sense that Hilton and her classmates would make this up over twenty years later, so bravo to Hilton for speaking out and helping to stop abuse.
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