Paris Hilton tells survivors to ‘use their voice’ to stop abuse

PARIS Hilton yesterday urged survivors of childhood abuse to share their experiences – to prevent it from happening to others.

In February, the US socialite and TV star told lawmakers in Utah she was ‘verbally, mentally and physically abused on a daily basis’ while at boarding school in the state.

She has campaigned for tighter regulations in education.

Speaking at the One Young World event yesterday, Miss Hilton said it was ‘so important to use your voice’, adding: ‘For me, it was so traumatic I didn’t speak about it for 20 years.’

She said she was ‘so proud to have told my story and used my voice and turned my pain into a purpose.’ She added: ‘It’s so important for all of us to really expose these people for what they’re doing so it doesn’t happen any more.’

In February, the heiress, pictured, tearfully described how she was humiliated and abused as a teenager during 11 ‘traumatising’ months at boarding school. She claimed staff at the Provo Canyon School in Utah watched her shower, and put her into solitary confinement without clothes as a punishment.

Miss Hilton, 40, said she was forced to take pills without a medical diagnosis at the school, after being sent, aged 16, by her parents to try to curb her party lifestyle. She told a Utah State Capitol committee in Salt Lake City that pupils were ‘restrained, thrown into walls, strangled and sexually abused’.

The school is now under new ownership and did not comment on Hilton’s allegations but said: ‘We do not condone or promote any form of abuse.’