Mariano Rivera’s wife breaks her silence after being accused of covering up child sexual abuse

New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara broke their silence Thursday after being named in a lawsuit and accused of covering up the sexual abuse of a minor at their home and at a summer camp associated with their church.

Joseph A. Ruta, their attorney, it is stated in the press release that they first heard about the allegations in 2022 – four years after the alleged incident took place. The alleged victim’s attorney requested a financial settlement at the time.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPORTS ON FOXNEWS.COM

“Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind and claims that they knew or failed to act on reports of abuse are completely false,” the statement said via New York Post. “The first time they heard about the allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when a New York attorney sent a letter in 2022 requesting a financial settlement. This was followed by a second letter in 2023, from another law firm in Florida, again seeking a financial settlement.

“The lawsuit seeking financial damages for River’s alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them is full of false and misleading statements that we have no doubt will not hold up in court.”

In the lawsuit, a woman identified as “Jane Doe” said she was sexually assaulted by an older girl known as “MG” during a summer internship in 2018. MG was a minor at the time of the alleged incidents. The internship took place at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida, which was affiliated with Rivera’s church.

The lawsuit said that the mother of the alleged victim informed Clara about the abuse and that Clara promised to investigate the matter. But they allegedly covered it up.

ICHIRO SUZUKI FAILS UNANIMOUSLY IN HALL OF FAME BY ONE VOTE, CAUSES SOCIAL MEDIA OUTRAGE: ‘MORONIC’

“Instead of taking sufficient action to stop the sexual abuse of Jane Doe, the Rivers each individually isolated and intimidated Jane Doe into remaining silent about her abuse by MG in order to avoid causing problems for Refuge of Hope and Ignite Life Summer Internship,” the lawsuit read. .

The lawsuit also alleged that MG molested the victim at Rivera’s residence in Rye, New York, during a barbecue that summer.

“Relevant at all times, [the Riveras] knew or should have known that MG posed a risk of child sexual abuse … before and during the barbecue,” the lawsuit said.

“In order to avoid a potential scandal of sexual abuse of children in his programs and in other ways to protect [themselves] above all, the Riveras… convinced [Doe’s mother] that [Doe] was safe and in no danger at Ignite Life Center, despite actual or constructive knowledge that Doe remained vulnerable to additional acts of sexual abuse by MG.”

A few months later, in January 2019, Rivera became the first and still only player to be unanimously elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Later that year, President Donald Trumpduring his first presidential term, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Rivera, widely regarded as the best closer in baseball history, is the sport’s all-time leader with 652 saves. His 2.21 ERA is also the lowest of any pitcher with at least 500 innings since the start of the live-ball era in 1920.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports transmission on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.