A bill in the US to end institutionalised abuse against children is one step closer to becoming law, thanks to the tireless advocacy of American media personality, Paris Hilton.
The former model, reality TV star and now pop star has been lobbying the US government for years on the issue of child abuse in facilities for “troubled” minors.
The bill passed in the Senate in Washington last week in a “rare show of unity”, and in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (local time), the Bill passed 373-33.
This means the bill will now be sent to the Oval Office to receive the signature of President Joe Biden, before it becomes law.
“Today is a day I will never forget,” Hilton wrote in an Instagram post following the bill’s passing in the house.
“After years of sharing my story and advocating on Capitol Hill, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act has officially passed the U.S Congress.”
Hilton’s advocacy is driven by her own experiences with institutionalised abuse as a teenager, allegedly at the Provo Canyon School in Utah.
She has previously detailed the extent of her abuse – most recently in an open letter to the House last week – where Hilton was “physically restrained, sexually abused, isolated, overmedicated and stripped of my dignity” as a teenager.
“This moment is proof that our voices matter,” Hilton continued in her Instagram post on Wednesday, “that speaking out can spark change, and that no child should ever endure the horrors of abuse in silence.
“I did this for the younger version of myself and the youth who were senselessly taken from us by the Troubled Teen Industry.”
Hilton began lobbying for changes to legislation that enables institutionalised child abuse in October 2021. Since then, she said, she has been travelling to and from Washington D.C. to meet with politicians, survivors and stakeholders.
“To the countless survivors who shared their stories, to the families who stood with us, and to the coalition, thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing with me. To the legislators who chose courage over complacency and fought for me: you’ve made my dream come true.
“And to the children still trapped in these systems: I will never stop fighting for you. Change is possible!”
The 33 representatives that voted against the bill – most reportedly from the far-right faction of the Republican party – include Majorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebrt and Thomas Massie.
According to the National Children’s Alliance, one in four girls and one in 13 boys are estimated to have experienced child abuse.
In Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that one in seven Australians have experienced abuse in childhood.
The National Redress Scheme, an initiative by the Australian government, was established in 2018 to support victim-survivors of institutionalised child abuse. The Scheme was in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the submisions of thousands of victim-survivors who experienced abuse in orphanages, children’s homes, schools, foster care, sports clubs, churches and hospitals.
Kids Helpline (1800 551 800) is a free, confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
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