A new lawsuit in New York accuses Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara of ignoring sexual abuse of a minor that occurred in their home and at a church.
The New York Yankees legend is the pastor of Refuge of Hope Church in New Rochelle, about 15 miles from where he played.
However, “Jane Doe” claims she was sexually assaulted by an older girl, known as “MG”, during a summer internship in 2018. MG was a minor at the time of the alleged incidents.
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Former New York Yankees star Mariano Rivera stands with his Hall of Fame plaque during a ceremony in his honor at Yankee Stadium on August 17, 2019. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The internship took place at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida, affiliated with Rivera’s church.
The suit says the victim’s mother told Clara about the abuse and Clara promised to investigate the matter. But they would have covered it up.
“Rather than taking sufficient action to stop Jane Doe’s sexual abuse, the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated Jane Doe into remaining silent about her abuse at the hands of MG in order to avoid causing harm. problems at the Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life summer camp,” the suit reads. bed.
The suit also alleges that MG abused the victim at the Rivera residence that summer during a barbecue.
New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera pitches the ninth inning against the Mariners on June 9, 2013 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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“At any relevant time, [the Riveras] knew or should have known that MG posed a risk of child sexual abuse…before and during the barbecue,” the complaint states.
“In order to avoid the potential scandal of child sexual abuse in its programs and to otherwise protect [themselves] above all, the Riveras… assured [Doe’s mother] that [Doe] was safe and secure at the Ignite Life Center, despite actual or constructive knowledge that Doe remained vulnerable to further acts of sexual abuse by MG.
Several months later, in January 2019, Rivera became the first, and still only, player to be unanimously elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Later that year, President Donald Trump, during his first presidency, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees waves to the crowd after breaking the career save record on September 19, 2011, at Yankee Stadium. (Rob Tringali/MLB via Getty Images)
Rivera, widely known as the greatest fielder in baseball history, is the all-time leader in saves with 652. His 2.21 ERA is also the lowest of any pitcher with at least 500 innings since the start of the live ball era in 1920.
