The executives who have since left the organisation told The St Petersburg Times that they witnessed David Miscavige, chairman of the board that oversees the church, hit staff members dozens of times, often without warning.

'It was random and whimsical. It could be the look on your face. Or not answering a question quickly. But it always was a punishment,' said Mike Rinder, who oversaw the church's legal and media relations operations. Mr Rinder said he was hit many times by Mr Miscavige and that he also hit others before leaving in 2007.

In a response to the paper, the church denied the allegations, saying that the four former executives statements were 'absolute and total lies,' and the claims are an effort to tarnish Mr Miscavige.

Marty Rathbun, who served on the church's board and was a top lieutenant of Mr Miscavige's, said he was often ordered by Mr Miscavige to attack others.

Tom De Vocht, who for years oversaw the church's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, estimated that during one three-year period, he saw Mr Miscavige strike staffers as many as 100 times. He left in 2005.

Mr De Vocht also participated, explaining to the newspaper how he rationalized his actions: 'If I don't attack I'm going to be attacked. It's a survival instinct in a weird situation that no one should be in.'

Amy Scobee, a manager in California who helped build the church's network of Celebrity Centres, said she witnessed numerous attacks before leaving in 2005 but was never hit herself or saw any other women attacked.

Monique Yingling, a church spokesman said the four left because they had been removed from their posts and couldn't handle the demotions.

Church spokesman Tommy Davis told the newspaper that an internal investigation revealed that Mr Rathbun - and not Mr Miscavige - was responsible for dozens of attacks in the years before he left in 2004. -- AP