Mariano Rivera, wife Clara
Allegedly covered up child sexual abuse
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Mariano Rivera and his wife, Claraallegedly covered up child sexual abuse that occurred at her home and at one of her church's summer camps … this is according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports.
The bombshell allegations were laid out in court documents filed in New York this month – and while neither Rivera nor his wife are defendants in the lawsuit, they are both repeatedly named in the papers.
Mother a deer claims in the documents her daughter, a teenager identified only as Jane A Doewas convinced by Clara in 2018 to travel to Florida for an internship that her Refuge of Hope church helped organize.
However, there, Mother A. Doe claims that Jane A. Doe was sexually abused by a “much older camper” identified as “MG.” Mother A Doe says after learning about the possibility of abuse, she brought it to Clara's attention.
According to the lawsuit, Clara assured Mother A Doe that she would investigate the situation. But when Clara and Mariano arrived at the camp, the documents say, they “individually isolated and intimidated Jane A Doe into silence” to protect their church and its summer program.
Mother A Doe claims the Riveras then reassured her that everything was fine… “despite actual or constructive findings that Jane A Doe continued to be vulnerable to additional acts of sexual abuse by MG.”
After returning to New York from Florida, Mother A Doe claims in her lawsuit that Jane A Doe was again sexually abused by MG…this time at a barbecue the Riveras were hosting at their New York home. Mother A Doe says the Riveras and others “took no action to protect the girl from her abuser.”
Mother A Doe says years later, in 2021, Jane A Doe was sexually abused by a male adult who worked as a youth leader for the Riveras' Refuge of Hope. Once again, Mother A Doe is accusing church members of failing to take appropriate steps to ensure her daughter's safety.
Rivera pitched for the Yankees from 1995 to 2013 – and ended his career as arguably the greatest closer of all time. In retirement, he became pastor at Refuge of Hope, where his wife served as supervisor of daily operations. the independent reported on Wednesday.
Neither Mariano nor Clara have publicly commented on the allegations in the lawsuit.