In an unusual move, a court in Sri Lanka has sentenced four government soldiers to 25 years in prison for the gang rape of a Tamil woman in northern Sri Lanka.

The incident occurred at a resettlement camp in Vishwamadu, Kilinochchi.
It took place in June 2010, a year after government forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in the region.

The men were sentenced by the High Court in Jaffna, the capital of Northern Province.

“A lengthy jail term was given because these soldiers brought the military into disrepute,” judge Manickavasagar Illancheliyan was quoted as saying.