Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, wife, accused of covering up abuse

The Hall of Fame closer and New York Yankees legend has been accused, along with his wife Clara, of covering up sexual abuse of a child that attended his church.

In a lawsuit that was filed earlier this month, the Riveras are alleged to have covered up abuse of a young girl by an older girl at a summer camp that was sponsored by their church, Refuge of Hope Church.

Both the victim and the abuser were minors at the time of the alleged incident.

While Refuge of Hope is in New York, the alleged incident took place in Florida, at a summer camp in 2018.

After the victim's mother expressed concern for her daughter's safety, she was told by the Riveras that it would be handled. Instead, the lawsuit alleges that Mariano and Clara routinely intimidated and isolated the victim into remaining silent.

While the lawsuit doesn't name the accuser, she was said to have been around 10 or 11 at the time of the incident.

Joseph A. Ruta, an attorney for the Riveras, has denied the allegations.

The lawsuit alleges that while staying in an unsupervised dorm, the young victim was abused by an older girl and that there was roughly 15 instances of this behaviour over a two-week period.

The girl and her mother later returned to New York and continued attending the church, but the victim was again assaulted by the same perpetrator at a church BBQ.

Adam Horowitz, lawyer for the victim's family, has also said that the same girl was abused in 2021, this time by a male youth pastor.

No criminal charges have been laid.

SOURCE - CBC