{"id":165651,"date":"2025-05-01T20:57:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T20:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/01\/yankees-mariano-rivera-wife-added-as-defendants-in-sexual-abuse-case\/"},"modified":"2025-05-01T20:57:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T20:57:41","slug":"yankees-mariano-rivera-wife-added-as-defendants-in-sexual-abuse-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/01\/yankees-mariano-rivera-wife-added-as-defendants-in-sexual-abuse-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Yankees’ Mariano Rivera, Wife Added as Defendants in Sexual Abuse Case"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera<\/strong> and his wife, Clara<\/strong>, have been added as defendants in a sexual abuse case connected to the Riveras\u2019 church.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The lawsuit, filed in January in Westchester County, New York\u2019s Supreme Court, alleges a 12-year-old girl was sexually abused in 2018 at events affiliated with Refuge of Hope, a church founded by the Riveras in 2009, where Clara is a pastor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before moving to another building in New Rochelle, New York, Refuge of Hope members used the Riveras\u2019 home as a gathering space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the original filing, a limited liability company (LLC) was also listed that listed the Riveras\u2019 former home address.
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\n Related: <\/span>Yankees\u2019 Mariano Rivera and Wife Accused of Covering Up Child Sex Abuse<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\t(Photo by James Devaney\/WireImage) Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara Rivera, have been accused of covering up child sexual abuse in their home and at their church. The allegations were made against Mariano, 55, and Clara in a lawsuit filed in New York on Thursday, January 16. The complaint, filed in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

According to ESPN<\/a>, the Riveras were named as defendants after it was determined they were not connected to the LLC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam Horowitz<\/strong>, who is representing the unnamed girl, said the details from the original lawsuit remain mostly the same. Neither Mariano, 55, or Clara have been formally charged.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the lawsuit, Refuge of Hope allegedly paid for the alleged victim to attend a summer camp program at an affiliated church in Gainesville, Florida where she claimed she was \u201crepeatedly sexually abused\u201d by a \u201cmuch older camper.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The girl\u2019s mother allegedly called Clara to tell her about the abuse, which led to both Clara and Mariano visiting the girl where they \u201ceach separately isolated and intimidated\u201d her, according to the lawsuit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Months later, the lawsuit alleges the girl was sexually abused by the same older boy during a barbecue at the Riveras\u2019 home. The girl was allegedly \u201cleft unsupervised\u201d with the individual.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The girl was also allegedly sexually assaulted in 2021 by a male youth leader at Refuge of Hope, according to the lawsuit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Police reports were filed in New York and Florida regarding the abuse by the girl and her mother in 2018 and 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement to Us Weekly<\/i> in January<\/a>, the Riveras\u2019 attorney, Joseph A. Ruta<\/strong>, denied the couple had participated in any sexual abuse cover-up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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