Vienna: Eight Iraqis jailed for New Year's Eve gang rape of German woman

Eight Iraqi men have been found guilty of the gang rape of a German tourist during New Year's Eve celebrations in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

The men, aged between 22 and 48, were given prison sentences ranging from nine to 13 years for the attack, which took place in the early hours of 1 January, 2016.

A ninth suspect was cleared of all charges, as investigators found he was asleep during the attack.

The men, all members of the same family, had arrived in Austria between May and December 2015. Five had been granted refugee status, while four had their applications pending.

The woman, 28, had been visiting Vienna with a female friend. At some point after midnight she became separated from her friend and met four Iraqi men, who took advantage of her heavily intoxicated state to take her back to a flat.

Five other men were waiting there. Some of the men took it in turns to rape her over several hours.

Claims from the defence that the victim could have sent "false signals" which encouraged the men were dismissed by prosecutors, who said it would have been impossible as she was in in an "unconscious, shock-rigid" state.

Prosecutors presented video and DNA evidence to prove the attack took place.

The attack left the woman requiring physical and psychological treatment. "Nothing makes me happy anymore," her lawyer quoted her as saying.

Just one defendant showed remorse and admitted to the crime, while others claimed they were not at the crime scene, or that the woman gave consent.

A court statement said that the victim was awarded €25,000 (£20, 400, $26,200) in damages.

Both prosecution and defence teams said they might appeal the court ruling, Reuters reported, citing the court spokesperson.

The case was cited by the anti-immigrant Austrian Freedom Party ahead of the 2016 presidential elections as reason to tighten immigration laws.