BREAKING NEWSYankees Legend Mariano Rivera and Wife Deny Covering Up Multiple Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
Mariano and Clara Rivera have been accused of covering up sexual abuse tied to their church.
Yankees legend Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara, have denied allegations made in a bombshell lawsuit that they covered up the sexual abuse of a minor in their New York home.
They were also accused of burying another incident that took place at a summer camp associated with their church in 2018.
The couple was accused of covering up an alleged sexual abuse related to their church.
Joseph A. Ruta, the Riveras’ attorney, released a statement on Thursday, January 23. He wrote: "Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind and allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse are completely false."
"The very first time they heard about these allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident when, in 2022, a New York attorney sent a letter requesting a financial settlement. This was followed by a second letter in 2023 from a different Florida law firm, again requesting a financial settlement," the lawyer continued. "The lawsuit, which seeks financial damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is full of inaccurate and misleading statements which we have no doubt will not hold up in a court of law."
The Yankees star was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
According to court documents obtained by the New York Post, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, claimed she was repeatedly abused by an older girl, referred to as "MG," when she attended a summer camp internship at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Fla., back in 2018.
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The couple reportedly 'intimidated' the complainant to 'remain silent about her abuse.'
"Our lawsuit alleges that Mariano and Clara Rivera had a duty to protect our client and missed the opportunity to save her from the harms of sexual abuse," Jane Doe’s attorney, Adam Horowitz, said in a statement.
Mariano, known for his decorated career with the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2013, racked up 652 saves and five World Series titles. He was also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 and now serves as the lead pastor of Refuge of Hope.
According to the lawsuit, Clara was reportedly in charge of the church’s daily operations during the alleged incidents.
Clara Rivera allegedly encouraged the plaintiff to join the summer camp, where she was assaulted.
The plaintiff claimed Clara encouraged her to attend the summer camp, where the assault allegedly took place in dormitories and showers. The older girl, who was also a minor at the time, reportedly “fondled and penetrated” the plaintiff’s body, including her b------, genitals and backside.
Things escalated when Jane Doe’s mother voiced concerns about her daughter’s safety.
According to the legal filing, the Riveras traveled to the camp and “assured” her that Clara would investigate the issue, but the suit claimed they failed to do so.
“Rather than take sufficient action to end the sexual abuse of Jane Doe, the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated Jane Doe to remain silent about her abuse by MG to avoid causing trouble for Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life Summer Internship,” the lawsuit alleged.
