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Cuban volleyball players convicted of rape in Finland

The players from the Cuban national team were arrested in July during the World League tournament prior to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

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Rolando Cepeda Abreu has been jailed for rape in Finland.

The charge sheet revealed the men pulled her by her hair and held her by her neck, among other things, to stop her from leaving the room.

Eight men were arrested but two were released without charge.

Four of the men each received five-year prison terms while a fifth player was given a sentence of three-and-a-half years, the Pirkanmaa District Court in Tampere ruled.

The court said it had acquitted Dariel Albo Miranda, after the victim and his teammates confirmed his claim that he had not participated in the rape. The trial was held behind closed doors. Along with the sentence, they were also asked to pay £20,500 (€24,000; $27,000) as compensation to the victim. It wasn’t immediately clear if the five who were convicted would appeal.

Finnish police have not revealed any details about the alleged rape, to protect the victim and the investigation. It condemned the players’ acts in July.

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Cuba’s volleyball team played at the Rio Olympics without the players and lost all five of their matches.

5 Cuban volleyball players convicted of rape in Finland