Paris Hilton has called for changes in youth treatment facilities and described her own painful experience of abuse to a US congressional committee.
The American socialite and businesswoman said she was “force-fed drugs and sexually abused by staff” after being sent to a private juvenile facility in Utah as a teenager.
Her testimony sheds light on what has been called a “troubled teen industry.”
While some children are placed with relatives or foster homes, others are sent to treatment centers, which are essentially children’s homes — some with complex medical or behavioral needs.
Hilton, 43, accused the multi-billion-dollar industry of being more concerned with making money than protecting and caring for the vulnerable children in its charge.
The former reality star is an outspoken advocate for children in juvenile facilities and the foster care system. She has previously recounted her experiences in books, documentaries and interviews.
Hilton said that when she was 16 years old, she was taken from her bed by a stranger in the middle of the night. Her academic performance had been declining, and her parents were concerned about her behavior.
But they had “no idea” what the facility was really like and were “constantly lied to” [to] and manipulated by staff,” Hilton told the committee.
“They just thought it was going to be a regular boarding school,” she said. “When I got there, there was no treatment. We were just ripped apart, abused, screamed and yelled at.”
Hilton testified that all of her communication with the outside world was controlled and that someone was always present when she spoke to her parents on the phone.
“So if I said anything negative about the facility, they would immediately hang up and I would be punished, either by being beaten or put in solitary confinement,” she said.
Hilton said the “inhumane” treatment she suffered will affect her for the rest of her life.
She urged U.S. lawmakers to pass a bill called the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act.
The troubled youth industry will be regulated by the federal government, making the abuse reporting system more transparent and accountable. The center will also provide guidance on best practice nationally so that the diverse needs of children are recognized and respected.
A new report An investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that many U.S. states did not adequately track the treatment of children in these facilities and failed to record incidents of abuse.
