Paris Hilton Appeals for Child Abuse Legislation
Paris Hilton has penned a poignant letter to the House of Representatives, urging them to pass a bill aimed at supporting child abuse victims before the Christmas holiday.
Her Emotional Testimony and Call for Action
This letter follows Hilton’s emotional testimony in 2021, where she recounted the emotional, physical, and psychological abuse she endured during her time at a boarding school in her youth.
In her plea to the government, Hilton called on the US House of Representatives to act swiftly in passing a bill designed to end institutional abuse of children, highlighting the need to consider “children who cannot speak for themselves.”
“I have experienced deep, unspoken pain for most of my life. I thought that if I kept quiet and buried it deep enough, maybe I could convince myself that it didn't happen. But silence does not heal; it only protects those who caused harm,” she reflected. “Speaking out was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was also the most powerful.
“As a teenager, I was sent to juvenile treatment facilities where I endured abuse that no child should have to bear (…) I was made to feel that I didn’t matter, that I was the problem, and that no one would believe me if I spoke— not even my family. For years, I lived under the weight of this trauma, plagued by nightmares and shame. It wasn’t until I found my voice that I began to heal,” she explained. “Advocating for change has been one of the most challenging and rewarding journeys of my life.”
Later in her statement, Hilton shared that meeting “brave survivors” during her advocacy work reminds her daily of the importance of this fight.
Hilton revealed the details of the alleged abuse in 2020 through a YouTube Originals documentary titled This is Paris, and she has since made several visits to the White House advocating for reforms in youth residential treatment. She has lobbied for the End Institutional Child Abuse Act for over three years, and recently, Billboard reported that the Senate unanimously supported this initiative last week.
Following this progress, Hilton’s letter to the House of Representatives requested lawmakers to finalize the bill before President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
“When the United States Senate demonstrated rare unity on Wednesday, December 11th, and unanimously passed the End Institutional Child Abuse Act, it was one of the most significant moments of my life,” she expressed. “This proved that by listening to survivors and setting aside politics, we can make real change. However, this journey is not complete. I cannot celebrate until this bill is enacted, and the responsibility now lies with the U.S. House of Representatives to continue what the Senate has begun.”
The complete text of Hilton’s letter can be found in the post above.
Earlier this year, Hilton also testified on Capitol Hill regarding her experiences at the Utah school she attended in the 1990s, advocating for comprehensive reforms in the foster care system and youth rehabilitation (via Daily Mail).
This is an ongoing story, and ABC News reported that Hilton is expected to return to Washington on Monday (Dec. 16) for discussions with House members to advocate for the bill’s approval.
In addition to her campaign against child abuse, Hilton is also working on new music. She announced earlier this spring her highly anticipated second album, Infinite Icon, which is set to be released this September—almost 18 years after her debut album, Paris, was launched in 2006. She has been teasing this project since 2017.
For help, advice or more information about stalking, assault, and rape in the UK, visit Charity website Rape Crisis. In the USA, visit RHINE.
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