Paris Hilton is an heiress, a reality TV personality, a singer and actor, and a mother of two.
She is also an advocate for children, having previously shared harrowing stories of the abuse she suffered as a teenager in our country’s notorious “troubled teen industry.”
Paris has been at the forefront of pushing the federal Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act.
The United States as a whole does little to protect its children from harm. But after the Senate passes the bill, Paris hopes the House will act on it.
Paris Hilton is calling for laws to protect children from horrific abuse
On Monday, December 16, Paris Hilton took to Instagram to share her open letter to the United States House of Representatives.
She is urging Congress to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Bill before the legislature adjourns for the year.
“For most of my life I have suffered a deep, unexpressed pain,” Paris said at the beginning of his letter. “I thought if I kept quiet, if I buried it far enough, maybe I could convince myself it didn’t happen.”
“But silence doesn’t heal — it only protects those who caused harm,” Paris said wisely. “Speaking has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it’s also been the most powerful.”
She shared: “As a teenager, I was sent to youth residential treatment facilities where I suffered abuse that no child should ever experience. I was physically restrained, sexually assaulted, isolated, overmedicated and stripped of my dignity.”
Paris added: “I was told I didn’t matter, I was the problem, and no one would believe me if I spoke out – not even my family. For years, I lived with the burden of that trauma, the nightmare, the shame. “I didn’t start to heal until I found my voice.”
Paris Hilton urges Congress to act, and act now
“Silence is not okay,” Paris Hilton insisted in her Instagram caption. “It protects those who caused harm.”
He addressed: “To every member of the House, “Think about the children who cannot speak for themselves.”
Paris insisted: “They are counting on you. Let’s turn pain into purpose and protect the most vulnerable among us.
It is only in recent years that Paris Hilton has spoken openly about the horrors of the 11 months she spent as a prisoner at Provo Canyon School.
She was only 17 years old. Because she used to party as a teenager, her parents sent her to an institution. Like the rest of the notoriously troubled teen industry, this facility turned teen suffering into profit.
People Contacted Utah-based House of Horrors. The representative declined to comment – citing that the facility had changed ownership in August 2000.
It’s all about survivors – not just celebrities
Paris expressed, “I always believed in turning pain into purpose, making something good out of something dark.” “Survivors like me have fought this fight for too long.”
She urged: “Now, I ask you to carry it across the finish line. “Let’s make this a moment our country can be proud of – a moment when we choose to protect the most vulnerable among us.”
Paris is making regular trips to DC to advance this important legislation. It’s a shame that it takes celebrity voices to advocate for basic decency. But, often, our broken systems need it to function right.