A Japanese court on Tuesday convicted three former soldiers in a sexual assault case that authorities had dropped until the victim, a former service member, came forward demanding a reinvestigation and prompting a military-wide harassment probe.

The Fukushima District Court sentenced them to two years in prison but suspended the sentences for four years, meaning they won’t actually serve time.

Still, the ruling is a rare victory in a country that consistently ranks near the bottom in international gender equality surveys and where sexual misconduct complaints are often disregarded. Victims tend to face criticism for speaking up.

The case filed by Rina Gonoi in August 2021 was initially dropped. Nine months later, she came forward and demanded the case be reinvestigated, saying the experience caused her to give up her military career. Gonoi said she has been attacked on social media for coming forward, but that she did so to prevent similar problems for other female service members.

Gonoi welcomed the ruling, saying it would prevent future victims. “Many victims still cannot speak up, but now we have this verdict, and I hope that more people come out and speak up,” she told reporters.

Defense Ministry Press Secretary Akira Mogi after the ruling offered a “deep apology for the long-lasting agony” that Gonoi has had to go through. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters earlier Tuesday that such harassment cannot be tolerated as service members work together to strengthen Japan’s military capability.

Gonoi’s revelation prompted a military-wide investigation into sexual harassment and other abuse allegations in September 2022, and prosecutors reopened her case.

The Fukushima court said each of her three former supervisors — Shutaro Shibuya, Akito Sekine and Yusuke Kimezawa — pressed their lower bodies against her at a party at an army training facility in August 2021, and it found them guilty of indecent assault.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty, denying any intent of indecency even though they admitted to pushing her onto a bed, NHK television reported.