New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara, are denying accusations from a young girl who claims they failed to act after she was sexually abused at a program affiliated with their church, and again at their home. “Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind, and allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse are completely false,” their lawyer, Joseph Ruta, said in a statement. “The very first time they heard about these allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when in 2022 a New York attorney sent a letter requesting a financial settlement.” The specific allegations against the Riveras were outlined in a lawsuit filed earlier this month in Westchester County on behalf of the alleged victim and her mother, whose identities were concealed for their privacy. According to the court documents, the girl was an active member of the Refuge of Hope Church — a house of worship co-founded by the Riveras, where Clara Rivera serves as pastor — when the assault occurred in 2018. GoogleRefuge of Hope Church in New Rochelle, N.Y., where Clara Rivera serves as senior pastor. (Google) That summer, according to the complaint, Clara Rivera persuaded a congregant to allow her daughter, who was 10 or 11 years old at the time, to attend an internship program hosted by the Ignite Life Center, a sister church in Gainesville, Fla. Refuge of Hope offered to pay for the girl to participate in the summer camp, so she accepted the invitation and then traveled to the Sunshine state, spending her time there in a dorm with other children but without parental supervision. That’s where she was repeatedly abused by an older female camper, according to the lawsuit. In a police report filed in 2022, the girl said there were 15 instances of inappropriate touching over a two-week period, both in her bunk and a shower. While the girl did not initially report the abuse, her mother grew concerned while speaking to her daughter on the phone. She then outlined her concerns to Clara Rivera, who agreed to investigate, according to the complaint. The Riveras’ subsequent efforts uncovered “information that should have given them concern,” the lawsuit says, but they chose instead to remain silent to “avoid the potential scandal of child sexual abuse in its programs.” The specific details of the couple’s investigation were not provided. Upon her return to New York, the girl continued to be involved with Refuge For Hope Church. But that same summer, during a barbecue for congregants at the Riveras’ home in Rye, she was again abused by the same person, according the lawsuit. “They failed to mitigate the risks, and upon learning that she had been a victim, took no steps to protect her or get criminal justice,” said the attorney who filed the lawsuit, Adam Horowitz. “They continued to expose her again to the same risk at her home.” Then in 2021, the girl was again sexually assaulted, this time by a male youth leader at Refuge of Hope, according to the lawsuit. Afterward, she and her mother finally decided to file police reports in both New York and Florida. Their lawsuit — filed against the Refuge of Hope church, not against the Riveras themselves —is seeking unspecified damages. “The lawsuit, which seeks financial damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is full of inaccurate and misleading statements which we have no doubt will not hold up in a court of law,” Ruta said. “The Riveras are known throughout New York for their charitable work and especially for their commitment to serving underprivileged children,” he added. “It’s unfortunate they are being targeted by false allegations.” With News Wire Services