Mormon leaders are 'covering up' an 'epidemic' of sexual abuse that rivals scandals exposed within the Catholic church, victims have alleged to DailyMail.com.

The Utah-based religion has repeatedly protected perpetrators and punished those who speak out in a bid to protect its reputation 'at all costs', it is claimed.

Victims believe abuse is 'rampant', with Mormon families said to be suffering 'extremely high rates of incest'.

Young girls subjected to horrific abuse say they are told to 'forgive' their assailants and discouraged from reporting it to the police.

The Mormon church has been embroiled in several high profile cases in which it has been accused of covering up sexual abuse, but the true scale of the crisis has never before been exposed.