When professional athletes retire from their sport, they often retreat to a quieter life away from the spotlight. MLB star Mariano Rivera opted for this route, although he has worked as a TV presenter for several shows. But recently, Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara Rivera, were accused of covering up child sex abuse.
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For context, Mariano Rivera, 55, played 19 seasons as a pitcher for the New York Yankees before retiring from the MLB in 2013. He was inducted into Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. Meanwhile, his wife Clara Rivera serves as the head pastor at Refuge of Hope Church in Westchester County, New York.
In January, Mariano and Clara Rivera were accused of covering up child sex abuse.
On January 16, a lawsuit was filed at the New York Supreme Court naming Mariano and Clara Rivera, People reported. The victim was identified as “Jane Doe” and was born in 2007. Meanwhile, her alleged abuser was an older female minor called “MG” in the complaint. The Riveras were accused of ignoring the sexual abuse of Jane Doe, a member of the Refuge of Hope Church.
The abuse allegedly happened at a summer internship program affiliated with the church.
The lawsuit detailed that the abuse allegedly happened when Joe Doe attended a summer internship program (affiliated with the Riveras’ church) at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida.
“The Ignite Summer Internship required children to reside at Ignite Life Center for the duration of the program, without parental supervision,” according to the documents.
Allegedly, Mariano and Clara Rivera “paid Jane Doe’s expenses” to “ensure she could attend the summer program.”
Allegedly, the Riveras ‘isolated and intimidated’ Jane Doe.
The allegations went further than Mariono and Clara Rivera allegedly brushing the abuse aside.
“Rather than take sufficient action to end the sexual abuse of Jane Doe, the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated Jane Doe,” the lawsuit alleges.
Mariano and Clara Rivera were also accused of pressuring her to “remain silent about her abuse by MG to avoid causing trouble for Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life Summer Internship.”
There were allegedly more incidents of abuse, too.
In the lawsuit, MG allegedly abused Jane Doe again at a 2018 barbecue held at the Riveras’ home at Brook View in Rye, New York.
“At all times relevant, [the Riveras] knew or should have known that MG was a risk to sexually abuse children… before and during the time of the barbecue,” the paperwork reads, per Fox News.
Additionally, Jane Doe was allegedly sexually abused by Ruben Tavarez Jr., the son of the Refuge of Hope associate pastor Ruben Tavarez Sr., in August 2021.
As of writing, the Riveras have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
The Riveras were accused of “falsely [promoting]their activities and premises as being safe, moral, and otherwise free of a risk of harm when it knew or should have known otherwise.” In the lawsuit, the plaintiff noted they are seeking a jury trial. As of writing, Mariano and Clara Rivera have not publicly commented on the allegations.
Si sospecha de abuso infantil, puede llamar a la línea directa nacional de abuso infantil de Childhelp, al 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) o visitar Childhelp.org. La línea directa está disponible las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
