Hundreds of Christian refugees have been beaten and sexually abused in German refugee camps, a report by the persecution charity Open Doors revealed.

A total of 743 Christians and 10 Yazidis were victims of religious motivated attacks in camps between February and September 2016, the report showed, but it warned the figure was the "tip of the iceberg". The report was presented to a press conference in Berlin on Monday and said "religiously motivated attacks occur frequently and nationwide".

It added "a number of unreported cases" must be assumed. Only 17 per cent of refugees affected reported the incidents to the police because they feared their situation would become worse.

Christian refugees faced death threats, sexual assault and violent attacks at the hands of the Muslim-majority cohabitants in the camps. More than half of those affected said the persecution they had received was violent and 44 reported sexual attacks against them.

An overwhelming majority, 83 per cent, said the attacks had happened "several times".

Christian converts were most at risk, the report stressed. "The highest risk in participating in the survey was taken by the converts from Islam to Christianity, according to the Quran their change of faith is considered as a crime worthy of the death penalty, therefore they are explicitly in danger."

Seperate accommodation must be provided for at-risk minorities like Christians and Yazidis, it insisted. "There must be no more 'integration experiments' at the expense of Christian refugees and other religious minorities in German asylum and reception centres."

The survey was conducted by Open Doors, Action on Behalf of Persecuted Christians and the Needy (AVC), International Society for Human Rights (IGFM), Aid to the Church in Need and Central Council of Oriental Christians in Germany (ZOCD).

Open Doors felt obliged to defend its criticism of Muslims as the main perpetrators and said it acknowledged the risk of "putting all Muslims under general suspicion". But it said "this must not be allowed to thwart efforts to protect victims of these attacks", insisting the charity was "not against Muslims".

Nevertheless it concluded: "Because of their faith, Christians are devalued to second class citizens and branded impure and apostates while enduring constant physical assaults.

"Often, those Muslims who are responsible for such attacks, are the ones who see themselves bound to the declarations of the Prophet in the Quran.

"In some cases moderate Muslims named religiously motivated attacks towards persons of other faith and sided with them. Nevertheless, the way of thinking which resides in the Quran, that non-Muslims are infidels and impure is a widespread reality."