Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 10:08 09 Feb 2021 GMT
Paris Hilton delivers emotional testimony in court about alleged abuse she suffered at boarding school
Paris Hilton delivered an emotional testimony at a Utah court about the abuse she allegedly suffered at boarding school.
Hilton, 39, appeared before the Utah State Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee on Monday (February 8) to allege that children were "restrained, hit, thrown into walls, strangled and sexually abused regularly at Provo" and to lobby for the creation of a bill that would regulate schools like Provo.
Per the Metro, Hilton said: "My name is Paris Hilton, I am an institutional abuse survivor and I speak today on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of children currently in residential care facilities across the United States.
"For the past 20 years, I have had a recurring nightmare where I'm kidnapped in the middle of the night by two strangers, strip-searched, and locked in a facility. I wish I could tell you that this haunting nightmare was just a dream, but it is not."
The socialite went on to recount her allegations against Provo, explaining that she was forced to take medication without a diagnosis.
The Simple Life star claimed: "I was verbally, mentally and physically abused on a daily basis. I was cut off from the outside world and stripped of all my human rights.
"Without a diagnosis, I was forced to consume medication that made me feel numb and exhausted. I didn't breathe fresh air or see the sunlight for 11 months.
"There was zero privacy - every time I would use the bathroom or take a shower - it was monitored. At 16 years old - as a child - I felt their piercing eyes staring at my naked body. I was just a kid and felt violated every single day."
The 39-year-old then requested that Utah courts and the President subject schools like Provo to closer monitoring.
She said: "I tell my story not so that anyone feels bad for me, but to shine a light on the reality of what happened then and is still happening now. The people who work at, run, and fund these programs should be ashamed of themselves. How can people live with themselves knowing this abuse is happening?
"Talking about something so personal was and is still terrifying. And I cannot go to sleep at night knowing that there are children that are enduring the same abuse that I and so many others went through. Neither should you. I am proof that money doesn't protect against abuse."
Hilton made her initial allegations against Provo in her YouTube documentary, This is Paris, where she claimed that her time at the school left her with insomnia, anxiety, and trust issues.
As per the Metro, following the documentary's release, she has held a rally for other abuse survivors and launched a website to allow them to submit their testimonies.