The government and the opposition exchanged blame for the attack, a pattern of cross-accusations that has recurred repeatedly following mass killings in Syria.
Among them are Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who resigned his post as archbishop of Boston as a result of the scandal; Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York for failing in his former post as bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., to remove a priest with a developing pattern of accusations; and Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles for resisting grand jury subpoenas that sought church files on accused priests.
She wrote: "OIOS notes that many of the complaints followed a specific pattern of accusations; many of the complainants' stories were nearly identical, lacked specific details and fell apart when probed.
An analyst with Human Rights Watch who is expert on renditions cases, Joanne Mariner, notes that Azar's claims match an existing pattern of accusations concerning the treatment of prisoners in past renditions, many of which have now been well documented.
And nothing makes alleged sexual misconduct more believable than a pattern of behavior, formed by multiple accusations.
The latest revelation comes as church officials in northern Germany say they have "credible evidence" of at least two other cases of sexual abuse committed by Father Hullermann in the 1970s, adding to a trail of accusations that suggest a pattern of abuse over two decades.
Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for the North West, said Thursday that in Mr. Hall's case, a number of women came forward with similar accusations, establishing a pattern of behavior.
He recently sued Catholic Church officials under a racketeering law originally intended for organized crime, saying that their conduct in covering up accusations against priests amounted to a pattern of criminal conduct.
But prosecutors planned to use the latest accusations during Mr. Jefferson's trial as evidence of a pattern of wrongdoing.
In dismissing Knight, Brand cited a pattern of "uncivil, defiant and unacceptable" behavior since May that culminated last week with Harvey's accusation that Knight had manhandled him and verbally abused him.
