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Jen Rovero Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton denounces the abuse she claims to have suffered in a Utah boarding school.
Hilton, 39, appeared in Utah court on Monday to testify against Provo Canyon School – the boarding school whose staff members she accused of inflicting emotional, physical and psychological abuse on her during her teenage years.
“My name is Paris Hilton, I am a survivor of institutional abuse and I speak today on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of children currently in residential care facilities across the United States,” he said. she stated in her testimony before the Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. “Over the past 20 years, I have experienced a recurring nightmare where I am kidnapped in the middle of the night by two strangers, strip searched and locked in an institution. I wish I could tell you that this haunting nightmare was just a dream, but it isn’t. “
Hilton then recounted her allegations against the Provo Canyon School, saying, “I have been verbally, mentally and physically abused on a daily basis. I was cut off from the outside world and deprived of all my human rights.
Jen Rovero Paris Hilton
“Without a diagnosis, I was forced to use drugs that numbed and exhausted me. I haven’t breathed fresh air or seen sunlight for 11 months. There was no privacy – every time I went to the bathroom or took a shower – he was watched, ”she said. “At 16 – when I was a kid – I felt their piercing eyes staring at my naked body. I was just a kid and felt violated every day.”
Hilton said she believed the alleged abuse at the school continued for years after she left, saying changes only began to be made after she spoke publicly in her documentary earlier this year .
RELATED: Paris Hilton Shares Photos Of Her Return From Allegedly Abusive Residential School As A Teenager
“I’m telling my story not to make anyone feel bad for me, but to bring to light the reality of what happened then and is still happening NOW,” she said. “The people who work, run and fund these programs should be ashamed of themselves. How can people live with themselves knowing this abuse is happening?”
Hilton then urged schools such as Provo Canyon to be watched more closely.
“I’ll be honest,” she said. “Talking about something so personal was and still is terrifying. And I can’t fall asleep at night knowing that there are children who experience the same abuse as me and so many others suffer. neither should. I am proof that this money does not protect against abuse. “
The entrepreneur, 39, previously made his allegations against the school in the YouTube Originals documentary It’s Paris which premiered in September. The school is now under different ownership.
Since then, Hilton has advocated for the closure of the Utah Residential School and other institutions whose staff members allegedly abused minors.
Hilton’s testimony was one of three heard Monday in support of a bill introduced by Senator Michael McKell calling for reform of state laws surrounding similar institutions. McKell was inspired to work with Hilton after hosting a rally in Provo Canyon in October.
“I’ve buried my truth for so long,” Hilton told PEOPLE exclusively in August 2020 about why it came out 20 years after her time at the institution. “But I’m proud of the strong woman I’ve become. People can assume that everything in my life has come easily to me, but I want to show the world who I really am.”
The socialite was sent to boarding school by her parents for 11 months in an attempt to tame her rebellious party.
RELATED: Paris Hilton & Drew Barrymore Reflect On Placement In Adolescent Segregation
“It was supposed to be a school, but [classes] were not the primary focus at all, ”she said.
“From the time I woke up until I went to bed, I kept screaming in my face all day, yelling at myself, torture continued,” Hilton said. “The staff were saying terrible things. They constantly made me feel bad about myself and would intimidate me. I think their goal was to break us. And they were physically violent, hitting and strangling us. They wanted to instill fear in the children, so we would be too afraid to disobey them. “
Many former classmates from Hilton’s Provo Canyon School have also appeared in her YouTube documentary and shared their stories of alleged abuse.
When contacted by PEOPLE to comment on the allegations at the time, the school replied, “Initially opened in 1971, the Provo Canyon School was sold by its previous owner in August 2000. So we cannot comment on operations or patient experience prior to this time. . “
In a second and longer statement released on September 17, after the documentary’s release, the school said staff were not using “solitary confinement” as a form of intervention “or prescribing” any medication or medication. as a means of discipline. . “
“We do not condone or promote any form of abuse,” the statement continued. “Any suspected / suspected abuse is immediately reported to our national regulatory authorities, law enforcement and child protection services as needed.” We are committed to providing high quality care to young people with special and often complex emotional, behavioral and psychiatric problems. Needs.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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