Riveras Face Abuse Lawsuit Over Church Events

Mariano Rivera, the former New York Yankees pitcher, and his wife, Clara—who leads Refuge of Hope as senior pastor—have been added as defendants in a civil lawsuit alleging they failed to protect a girl from sexual abuse at church-related events and sought to silence her. The amended lawsuit claims abuse occurred during a 2018 summer camp in Florida and at the Riveras' New York home, and that after the incidents, the Riveras allegedly intimidated the girl to keep quiet. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe and born in 2007, also alleges she was abused by another youth leader in 2021. The original suit named the church and a related LLC, but the Riveras were added as defendants after it was determined they were not connected to the LLC. Attorneys for the Riveras deny any wrongdoing, and there are no criminal charges against them. Police reports were filed in both New York and Florida, and the case is proceeding in Westchester County Supreme Court.