A Japanese court has found three ex-soldiers guilty of sexually assaulting a female colleague.
The landmark verdict comes after Rina Gonoi, 24, caused a public outcry and drew international attention when she put her story on YouTube in 2022.
Fukushima prosecutors then brought charges against the three men in March, reversing their earlier decision.
Japan is a deeply conservative society where most victims of sexual violence are shamed into silence.
The men received a suspended sentence of two years at a Fukushima court on Tuesday.
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault
In August 2021, three male colleagues pinned Ms Gonoi to a bed, forcibly spread her legs open and alternately and repeatedly pressed their crotches against her.
Ms Gonoi reported the incident to her superiors but her complaint was dismissed as she was unable to obtain any witness testimony.
Later, the three men were referred to prosecutors on suspicion of indecent assault by the Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) police unit, but the case was dropped for lack of evidence. Ms Gonoi eventually left the army.
