Paris Hilton Shares Story of Alleged Abuse During Congressional Testimony

“When I was 16, I was taken from my bed in the middle of the night and transported interstate to the first of four residential treatment centers for young people,” Paris Hilton said during of a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday. “These programs promised healing, growth and support, but did not allow me to speak, move freely or even look out the window for two years. »

Hilton then described years of alleged abuse during his time at a youth treatment camp, sometimes called the “troubled teen industry.” In his public testimony, Hilton urged lawmakers to regulate these institutions under federal oversight and enact laws to protect vulnerable youth.

At the time, Hilton suffered from ADHD, which was not as widely discussed as it is today. Her parents were told she would be sent to a youth treatment center, Provo Canyon School, where, Hilton said, they were “completely deceived, lied to and manipulated by this for-profit industry.”

“These programs promised ‘healing, growth and support’ but did not allow me to speak, move freely or even look out the window for two years,” Hilton said. “I was force-fed with drugs and sexually abused by staff. I was violently restrained and dragged through the corridors, stripped naked and thrown into solitary confinement.”

Hilton also noted in her testimony that private equity firms have taken an increasing stake in the industry in recent years, focusing on maximizing profits and, subsequently, she said, hiring unskilled workers.

“This $23 billion industry views this population (vulnerable youth) as a dollar sign and operates without meaningful oversight,” she said.

A new report released in June by the Department of Health and Human Services found that many states across the country are not adequately tracking how children in these facilities are treated or recording cases of abuse. Hilton urged lawmakers to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which would provide federal oversight of the youth residential treatment sector, allowing for more transparent reporting of abuse, providing national standards of care and ensuring basic care for the diverse needs of children and adolescents.

Hilton first shared her experience in the Utah facility in the 2020 documentary “This is Paris” and has since been a vocal advocate for greater oversight of the system, writing op-ed columns in publications like the Washington Post.