Paris Hilton Advocates for Child Abuse Bill amid Her Own Teen Trauma

Paris Hilton is continuing to advocate for victims of child abuse following the trauma she allegedly suffered as a teen at a Utah boarding school. 

On Monday, Dec. 16, Hilton, 42, shared an open letter via Instagram addressing members of the United States House of Representatives. She called on them to prioritize passing the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Bill before they adjourn for Christmas.

“For most of my life, I carried a deep, unspoken pain,” the mom-of-two wrote in the letter.

“I thought if I stayed quiet, if I buried it far enough, maybe I could convince myself it didn’t happen. But silence doesn’t heal — it only protects the people that caused the harm. Speaking up has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also been the most powerful.

“As a teenager, I was sent to youth residential treatment facilities where I endured abuse that no child should ever experience,” she continued. “I was physically restrained, sexually abused, isolated, overmedicated, and stripped of my dignity. I was told I didn’t matter, that I was the problem, and no one would believe me if I spoke up — not even my family. For years, I lived with the weight of that trauma, the nightmares, the shame. It wasn’t until I found my voice that I began to heal.”

The heiress added a caption that read, “Silence doesn’t heal — it protects the people that caused the harm,” alongside a brokenhearted emoji.

“To every member of the House,” she continued. “Think of the children who can’t speak for themselves. They’re counting on you. Let’s turn pain into purpose and protect the most vulnerable among us.”

Back in August 2020, Hilton told PEOPLE that the 11 months that she spent at Provo Canyon School were “continuous torture.” Parents Rick and Kathy sent a then 17-year-old Hilton to the boarding school after her partying.

She alleges that staff would bully her by saying “terrible things” and were “physically abusive” so that the kids would be “too scared to disobey them.”

When PEOPLE contacted the school in 2021, a representative said they wouldn’t be commenting on the experiences of operations that took place before it changed ownership in August 2000. 

Hilton revealed in her open letter that advocating for change has been “the most challenging and rewarding” experience of her life. She also mentioned having met other “brave survivors” during her journey.

Hilton said that when The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act was passed “unanimously” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, after years of lobbying it was “one of the best moments of my life.”

“It was proof that when we listen to survivors and put politics aside, we can create real, meaningful change,” the star continued. “But this journey isn’t over. I can’t celebrate until this bill becomes law, and now it’s up to the U.S. House of Representatives to finish what the Senate started.”

“I always believed in turning pain into purpose, in creating something good from something dark. Survivors like me have carried this fight for far too long. Now, I ask you to carry it across the finish line. Let’s make this a moment that our country can be proud of — a moment when we choose to protect the most vulnerable among us.”

A spokesperson for the reality TV star revealed to ABC News that she has been traveling to Washington every six to 10 months since October 2021 in an attempt to get Congress to reform youth residential treatment facilities.

“I won’t stop fighting until change is made,” she told the outlet. “This is my lifelong mission and I really believe it’s my true purpose in life. I will not stop fighting for these children and being a voice for them.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.