Mariano Rivera and his spouse, Clara Rivera, have been charged with concealing instances of sexual abuse involving minors at a Christian summer camp tied to their church and within the confines of their own household. A lawsuit, filed on Thursday, January 16th, in the New York Supreme Court and obtained by PEOPLE, alleges that the 55-year-old New York Yankees Hall of Famer, Mariano, ignored the sexual predation of a young girl who was a congregant at his Refuge of Hope Church in Westchester County, New York.
The minor victim, born in 2007, is pseudonymously referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint. Her alleged perpetrator, an older female minor identified as "MG," is named in the documentation. The alleged abuse transpired at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida, during a 2018 summer internship program affiliated with the Riveras' church.
According to court documents, instead of taking adequate measures to stop the sexual abuse of Jane Doe, the Riveras individually isolated and intimidated her, pressuring her to remain silent about her abuse by MG to avoid tarnishing the reputation of Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life Summer Internship. Clara, who holds the position of head pastor at Refuge of Hope, as stated on its website, is also named in the lawsuit. The documents further assert that the Ignite Summer Internship compelled children to reside at the Ignite Life Center without parental oversight for the duration of the program.
The complaint contends that the baseball legend "covered Jane Doe's expenses" to "ensure her participation in the summer program." MG is accused of sexually abusing Jane Doe once again during a 2018 summer barbecue held at the Riveras' former Brook View residence, where they no longer reside.
The complaint further alleges that Jane Doe was sexually abused by Ruben Tavarez Jr., the son of Ruben Tavarez Sr., an associate pastor at Refuge of Hope, in August 2021. The Riveras are accused of "falsely portraying their activities and premises as safe, moral, and devoid of any risk of harm, despite knowing or ought to have known otherwise." The plaintiff seeks a jury trial.
PEOPLE reached out to a representative for Mariano and to Refuge of Hope Church for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Rivera played as the New York Yankees' closer for 19 seasons, spanning from 1995 to 2013. He is a 13-time MLB All-Star, a five-time World Series champion, and the recipient of the 1999 World Series MVP Award. In 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump. He stands as the sole baseball player in history to be unanimously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
As per the church's website, Refuge of Hope was founded by Mariano and Clara in their home in 2009. Over time, they expanded and took over the North Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Rochelle, New York.
