Image: Kaisu Jansson / Yle

Five Cuban volleyball players are facing jail sentences for their parts in a gang rape that took place at a Tampere hotel in early July. Pirkanmaa District Court announced the verdicts in the case on Tuesday, saying that five were guilty of aggravated rape while one was cleared of involvement.

The players were in Tampere for several World League matches before the Rio Olympics. Four of them now face five-year jail terms for aggravated rape, while the fifth has been sentenced to three years and six months behind bars.

Finnish police originally arrested eight players, but released two of them soon afterwards. A sixth was released in August. Cuba decided to compete in the Rio Olympics without the players, and having sacked two of the squad's coaches, but lost all five games in the Olympic tournament.</s>A Finnish court has convicted five members of Cuba's national volleyball team of aggravated rape and sentenced four of them to five years in prison. A fifth man was sentenced to 3½ years in prison.

The District Court of Pirkanmaa on Tuesday acquitted a sixth man, who had been held in police custody in the southern city of Tampere.

Eight members of the Cuban volleyball team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki. Two were released without charge.

The arrests were during the Volleyball World League in the southern Finnish city.</s>Five Cuban volleyball players have been convicted for the rape of a Finnish woman during a tournament.

The attack took place at the Volleyball World League in Tampere, southern Finland.

Team captain, Rolando Cepeda Abreu, 27, was given a five year sentence for aggravated rape at the District Court of Pirkanmaa, along with team mates Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, 21.

Another defendant, Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was jailed for three years and six months.

Eight members of the team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 105 miles north of the capital, Helsinki.

Two were released without charge.

The defendants had denied the charge and insisted the woman had consented to sex.

Other team members denied knowledge of the incident.

Despite the arrests and consequent loss of players, the Cuban team entered the Rio 2016 games but lost every match.</s>Five members of the Cuban national volleyball team have been jailed for gang-raping a woman during a tournament.

Four players, including 27-year-old team captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, 21, were handed five-year prison sentences for aggravated rape.

They were due to take part in the Rio Olympics, but were suspended after allegations of the rape surfaced, which took place during a Volleyball World League event in Finland in July.

The Pirkanmaa district court said the Finnish woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was attacked on the night of July 2 in a hotel where the Cuban team was staying during the championship in the southern town of Tampere.

Few details of the events were disclosed to the media and public, and the trial was held behind closed doors to protect the victim.

According to the charge sheet, the players 'had together and in mutual understanding forced the victim to several acts of sexual intercourse by means of violence and by taking advantage of her fear and state of helplessness.'

Court documents reveal the victim first agreed to have sex with Uriarte Mestre, but after sleeping with her, he invited his team-mates to join in without her consent.

Then they forced her to have sex with them in 'several ways' and 'several times'.

A fifth player, Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, received a shorter sentence of three years and six months.

The rest of the Cuban national team finished last in their group at the Olympic Games in Rio, with five straight defeats.

The court said it had acquitted Dariel Albo Miranda, 24, after the victim and his teammates confirmed his claim that he had not participated in the rape.</s>Five volleyball players from the Cuban national team were found guilty on Tuesday of aggravated rape of a woman while they were in Finland in July for a World League tournament prior to the Rio Olympics.

The Finnish district court charged six men with the crime, which took place at the hotel where the team was staying in the city of Tampere. One was found not guilty.

The court sentenced four of the men to five years in prison, and the fifth to three and a half years.

All the men denied the charge, either disputing any sexual intercourse with the woman, or by saying it had happened by mutual understanding.

The players, aged between 19 and 27, had asked for mitigated punishments, arguing they had lost contracts due to the publicity of the case. The court denied that request.

“The defendants are found guilty of a serious sexual crime during a match tour… Considering the crime in question, losing player contracts has been a foreseeable consequence,” the court said.

The Cuban Volleyball Federation was not immediately available for a comment. It condemned the players’ acts in July.

The Cuban team decided to compete in the Rio Olympics despite the detention of the players, but lost all their five games.</s>HELSINKI, (Reuters) – Five volleyball players from the Cuban national team were found guilty today of aggravated rape while they were in the country in July for a World League tournament prior to the Rio Olympics.

Finnish district court charged six men with the crime, which took place in the city of Tampere, at the hotel where the team was staying. One was found not guilty.

The court sentenced four of the men to five years in prison, and the fifth to three and a half years. All the men denied the charge.</s>HELSINKI (AP) — A Finnish court on Tuesday convicted five members of Cuba's national volleyball team of aggravated rape and ordered them to pay a total of 24,000 euros ($27,000) in compensation to the victim.

Four of the men were sentenced to five years in prison, while a fifth man got 3½ years.

The District Court of Pirkanmaa acquitted a sixth man, who had been held in police custody with the five others in the southern city of Tampere. The trial was held behind closed doors.

The men had denied the charges, saying they were innocent. It wasn't immediately clear if the five who were convicted would appeal. Some said they had sexual intercourse with the Finnish victim but denied rape.

Five-year sentences were given to Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, 21, Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano, 19, Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, 21, and Rolando Cepeda Abreu, 27. Luis Tomas Sosa Sierra, 21, got 3½ years.

Eight members of the Cuban volleyball team were initially arrested in early July following allegations that a woman was raped at a hotel where the team was staying in Tampere, 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki. Two were released without charge.

The arrests were made during Volleyball World League.

During the investigation, the Cuban Volleyball Association acknowledged the arrests, saying the investigation seemed to indicate acts by the players that were "totally removed from discipline, the sense of honor and respect that govern our sport and society."</s>FIVE members of Cuba’s national volleyball team have been convicted of raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere.Four of the men, including the captain, were given five-year jail sentences while a fifth is facing a prison term of three and a half years.

 They were detained in the southern Finnish city on July 2 after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel.

 Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards.

 Another of the players was released from detention at the end of August and acquitted by the court in Tampere.

 The men given the longer sentences included 27-year-old captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, who is also 21. Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was given a shorter sentence.

 The team had been taking part in a tournament ahead of the Rio Olympics when the rape took place at the hotel in which the players were staying.

LENGTHY ORDEAL

 The court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of one of the men, Uriarte Mestre, and consented to sex.

 However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman’s knowledge. They entered the room and subjected the woman to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving.

 When she was eventually allowed to leave, she complained to the hotel receptionist who called police.

 The men had denied the accusation, insisting the woman had given consent.

 However, the court ruled they were guilty of aggravated rape and ordered the men to pay €24 000 (£20 500; $27 000) in compensation to the victim.

 As the allegations emerged, two of the team coaches were sacked.

 Despite its depleted squad, Cuba fielded a team in Rio and lost all five of their matches. (BBC Sport)</s>Four of the players, Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Abraham Alfonso Gavilán, Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano and Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, were sentenced to five years in prison, the Cuban government website Cubadebate said

A fifth player, Luis Tomás Sierra, was sentenced to 3½ years, according to Cubadebate.

The court also ordered the men to pay 24,000 euros in restitution to the woman they were convicted of attacking, Cubadebate said.

The players were arrested in July in Tampere, Finland after arriving there to play in the World Volleyball League before competing in the Rio Olympics. According to Finnish and Cuban media reports, the men were accused of sexually assaulting a Finnish woman in their hotel room.

The incident proved highly embarrassing for Cuba's government, which controls all professional athletics in the island nation and portrays Cuban athletes as examples of revolutionary discipline and virtue. "Preliminary information implicates them to acts totally alien to the sense of honor and respect that govern our society and sport," the Cuban Volleyball Federation said in a statement in July following the men's arrests.</s>Five members of Cuba’s national volleyball team have been convicted of raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere.

Four of the men, including the captain, were given five-year jail sentences while a fifth is facing a prison term of three and a half years.

They were detained in the southern Finnish city on July 2 after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel.

Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards.

Another of the players was released from detention at the end of August and acquitted by the court in Tampere.

The men given the longer sentences included 27-year-old captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Alfonso Gavilan, 21, Ricardo Calvo Manzano, 19, and Osmany Uriarte Mestre, who is also 21. Luis Sosa Sierra, 21, was given a shorter sentence.

The court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of one of the men, Uriarte Mestre, and consented to sex.

However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman’s knowledge. They entered the room and subjected the woman to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving.
A court sentences five members of the Cuba men's national volleyball team to prison for a gang rape of a Finnish woman that took place in Tampere, Finland, in July 2016 during the FIVB Volleyball World League.