Yankees legend Mariano Rivera's attorney releases statement after sexual abuse cover-up allegation

New York Yankees legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera has been embroiled in an alleged sexual abuse cover-up. Rivera and his wife Clara were named in a lawsuit filed by the camp of a "Jane Doe" in the State Supreme Court in Westchester County, New York last week.

The news exploded right around when the newest class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame was inducted. It's common knowledge for baseball fans that Rivera remains the only player to ever be unanimously inducted into the Hall. In a statement provided by the couple's attorney Joseph Ruta on Thursday, the camp denied any involvement in the plaintiff's claims.

"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," Ruta said (via Tony Aiello).

It was also stated in the attorney's release that the couple first heard about the abuse allegations in 2022, four years after the alleged incidents started. Rivera's camp was reportedly sent a letter requesting a financial statement with a follow-up in 2023 from Jane Doe's camp.

At the time of writing, no statements have been made by the Refuge of Hope Church, the New York Yankees and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Mariano Rivera and wife involved in scandal

Last week, a lawsuit was filed against the Refuge of Hope Church located in New Rochelle, New York. The complaint contained statements about a "Jane Doe" being sexually abused multiple times by members connected to the church. The scandal involved Yankee legend Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara, who serves as the church's senior pastor.

Mariano and Clara Rivera were alleged to have intimidated the plaintiff into staying mum about the abuse that the latter received. The acts of abuse, as stated in the complaint, started in 2018 when Jane Doe was encouraged by Ms. Rivera to join a summer camp in Florida.

Aged 11 at the time of the incident, the young girl was reportedly sexually abused by an older camper who touched the genitals of the complainant. The issue was brought up to Jane Doe's mother and then passed on to Ms. Rivera to which the latter allegedly replied that she would investigate it — according to the contents of the lawsuit.

When Clara and Mariano Rivera reached the camp and received the news about the abuse that the girl endured, it was stated that the couple allegedly implored the plaintiff to remain silent to maintain the church's image. It was then reported that the girl was sexually abused again by the same entity later in the year at the Rivera's residence in Rye, New York.

In addition, another employee of the church was also involved in the lawsuit when in 2021 it was reported that the plaintiff was sexually assaulted by a youth leader of Refuge of Hope.