“Survivors” say they were victims of “sexual abuse, abuse of power and abuse of conscience.” (FRANCISCO NEGRONI)

Santiago (AFP) – A group of sexual abuse victims on Thursday demanded the expulsion of six members of a Chilean religious order at the center of a scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church.

Representatives of survivors’ organizations submitted their demands to the press after turning up with a letter at the Santiago office of the Marist Brothers religious order, only to find it was closed.

The survivors claim they were abused while attending a religious school run by the Marist Brothers.

“They have in their hands the (ability to take a) prompt and courageous decision to expel from the congregation these criminals,” the survivors said in their letter.

The survivors’ letter says they were victims of “sexual abuse, abuse of power and abuse of conscience,” and accuses their abusers of “seriously failing their religious vows, hurting the church and the congregation, betraying trust and violating the innocence of our childhood.”

The aborted meeting was due to take place two weeks after a Marist investigation validated the victims’ accusations.

Former Marist priest Abel Perez was recently defrocked by the Vatican after admitting in 2010 to having sexually abused 14 minors in the 1970s, although it took the religious order until last year to report his crimes to authorities.

Last Friday, Pope Francis expelled priest Cristian Precht after he was accused of covering up Marist abuses, as well as suspended from the church for five years for abusing minors.

Last month, public prosecutors said they were looking into 119 cases related to the sexual abuse of minors since 1960, adding that 167 bishops, priests and lay members of the Catholic Church were being investigated.

The number of cases jumped dramatically following a search of Marist properties in August.

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