A Japanese court has found three male former Ground Self-Defense Force members guilty on charges of indecent assault of a female subordinate.

The Fukushima District Court on Tuesday handed down two-year prison sentences, suspended for four years, to Shibuya Shutaro, Sekine Akito and Kimezawa Yusuke.

Prosecutors had demanded two-year sentences, alleging that the three defendants touched Gonoi Rina through her clothing at a training facility in Hokkaido in August 2021.

The three defendants had pleaded not guilty. They admitted to forcing Gonoi down using martial arts moves but said they had no intention of committing indecent acts.

Presiding judge Miura Takaaki said Gonoi's testimony in court matched those of higher-ranking members who were at the party and are credible. He said key parts of other testimonies by her superiors were also consistent and the behavior of the three defendants was suggestive of sexual acts.

Miura said imitating sexual acts in a setting where it was difficult for the victim to resist disregarded the victim's character and used her as a tool to build up excitement. He said that is contemptible and malicious, but the defendants have already been dismissed from the SDF.

Prosecutors charged the three men after an initial decision not to indict them.

A prosecution inquest panel determined that the decision not to indict them was unjust after Gonoi went public with the accusations.

The case prompted the Defense Ministry to take the unusual step of launching a special inquiry last year into harassment.