Behind the glamorous life of a celebrity, there are sometimes heartbreaking pasts. Recently, 43-year-old Paris Hilton, one of the heirs of the Hilton Group, revealed her experience of sexual abuse in boarding school as a teenager at a congressional hearing.
On June 26, Paris Hilton was invited to attend a hearing on child welfare before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. On this solemn occasion, the socialite, once known for her luxurious lifestyle, undressed her usual glamorous appearance and bravely recounted her experience as a victim.
"I was violently restrained, dragged into the hallway, stripped naked and held in solitary confinement." Hilton's words shocked and uneasy everyone present. She is not describing the plot of a horror movie, but the nightmare she experienced at a boarding school when she was 16 years old.
Hilton recalls that those boarding school programs promised healing, growth, and support, but in reality deprived her of her most basic freedoms. "I can't look out the window for two years", this sentence expresses the mental torture she suffered at that time. She also revealed that she was "force-drugged and sexually abused by staff."
Such an encounter would be unimaginable for anyone, let alone a teenage girl in the midst of puberty. Hilton's parents were unaware at the time, and they were being "constantly deceived and manipulated" by school staff.
Sadly, Hilton's story is not an isolated case. As far as she knows, more than 50,000 children in foster care are placed in residential treatment facilities in the United States each year, and the situation in these facilities is not much better than it was 27 years ago. She even mentioned the recent case of a 12-year-old teenager who became pregnant after being sexually abused, which was undoubtedly a blow to society as a whole.
Hilton chose this time to open up about her experience for a clear purpose: she hopes that through her story, she hopes to convince lawmakers to consider strengthening community resources to keep vulnerable children out of these potentially at-risk institutions. This kind of courage and responsibility is very different from people's impression of the image of a "celebrity" who only knows how to enjoy a luxurious life.
Hilton is not the first celebrity to come forward and expose such issues. Since she first opened up about her experiences in a documentary in the fall of 2020, other celebrity children, including Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris Jackson, have revealed their experiences of abuse at school. These revelations have created a powerful wave of public concern and discussion about boarding schools and adolescent therapy facilities.
Why does such an institution exist? Why have these problems not been solved for so long? These are all questions that we need to think about seriously. It also reminds us that when choosing an educational institution, it is important to look beyond the superficial aspects and to have an in-depth understanding of its inner workings and management.
Hilton's story also reflects the harsh reality that even people from prominent backgrounds can be victims of abuse. Child protection is a universal issue that requires the joint efforts of the whole of society, regardless of class or region.
Hilton's courageous voice undoubtedly brings hope to those teenagers who are still suffering similar abuse. Her actions teach us to have the courage to stand up and speak up for ourselves and others, even through darkness. Beneath the glamorous exterior, everyone may have unknown pains. We need to be more open and understanding with others, with more empathy and support.