Hearing before US Congress - "Was pumped full of medication": Paris Hilton talks about horror time at boarding school
Paris Hilton demanded stricter rules against abuse in juvenile facilities during a congress in Washington, while describing her own experiences of such places. "When I was 16 years old, I was dragged out of my bed in the middle of the night and taken to another state, to the first of four residential juvenile facilities," reported the 43-year-old before a House committee on Wednesday (local time).
"These programs promised healing, growth, and support," but instead, Hilton endured two years of being unable to speak freely or move freely, she testified. "I was forcibly medicated and sexually abused by the staff," she said. She was dragged down the halls and stripped.
Her parents had no idea, Hilton continued. They had been deceived by the operators of these institutions – from a "profit-driven industry," as Hilton put it. This includes institutions for troubled teenagers.
Paris Hilton experienced abuse and violence in the boarding school
Hilton has spoken publicly about her experiences before. In her documentary "This is Paris" (2020), she revealed that she had experienced abuse and violence in such institutions during her youth. She had already spoken about physical and psychological abuse in US media. "They put us on tables and stuck their fingers in us," Hilton told the "New York Times" at the end of 2022. "That was definitely not a doctor."
Addressing youth who are experiencing similar situations in US institutions today, Hilton said, "I see you. I believe you. I know what you're going through, and I won't give up on you."
Paris Hilton's harrowing experiences extended beyond the Washington congress, as she also shared stories of abuse in a US boarding school during her youth. Her documentary "This is Paris" delved into this, with her recounting physical and psychological abuse, including painful procedures she claimed were not medically necessary. This all occurred within the confines of these institutions.
The US Congress has yet to address the issue of drug use in these boarding schools, despite Paris Hilton's testimonies and other reports of substance misuse amidst the troubled youth living there.
Paris Hilton's experiences in the boarding school in Paris, or any other city in France, were not mentioned, but her crusade against the abuses in juvenile facilities has inspired hope among many US youth who have suffered similar fates.
