On the final day of a two-week trial and ahead of the verdicts, protestors had gathered from early morning outside La Cours d'Asisses in Bordeaux.
Holding banners with stark messages about violence against women, they campaigned outside the courthouse when rape trials are taking place, to highlight this issue.
This trial, involving two Irish rugby players, was connected to events that happened in this area over six-and-a-half years ago.
All five defendants were playing for the French club FC Grenoble at the time.
On 12 March 2017, an investigation was launched by Bordeaux police after they were told by the mother of a 20-year-old that her daughter had been the victim of a rape by several members of the FC Grenoble rugby team.
It happened at a hotel in Mérignac, a suburb near Bordeaux, where the players were staying after their defeat against the Bordeaux rugby team.
The victim said she had no memory between the time she drank alcohol at the nightclub and the moment she regained consciousness, lying naked on a bed, surrounded by several men.
Denis Coulson from Ireland, French man Loick Jammes, and New Zealander Rory Grice were charged with gang rape.
They denied the charges and said any sexual activity with the woman had been consensual.
They appealed the charges, but it was rejected by the appeals court and they were sent forward for trial.
Following further inquiries, two other former FC Grenoble players, Chris Farrell, who was part of Ireland's Grand Slam winning 2018 Six Nations team, and New Zealander Dylan Hayes, 30, were charged with the failure to prevent a crime.
At the time he was charged, Chris Farrell had been playing for Munster.
In response to the charge, Munster Rugby issued a statement to say they had both agreed he would be stepping back from his involvement with the squad during legal proceedings in France, "concerning his alleged involvement as a witness to an alleged crime in 2017".
The trial was due to take place this summer, but it was postponed by six months after lawyers for 30-year-old Denis Coulson explained he had been seriously injured in a car crash in Ireland in June.
They said he was unable to speak with his legal team and the judge decided to adjourn the trial.
Proceedings resumed on 2 December. It was held behind closed doors at the request of the victim who has chosen to remain anonymous.
There was a sense that the verdicts had been reached late yesterday evening when there was a significant police presence in the lobby of the courthouse, outside courtroom G.
It took the jury, which included three judges and six members of the public, more than nine hours to conclude deliberations.
Shortly before 9pm local time, Judge Marie-Noëlle Billaud read out the verdicts to the court.
Some of the defendants were wearing earpieces to hear translations of the decisions.
Friends and family of the victim were in court for the verdicts as well as some family members of the defendants.
The three men who were found guilty of rape were given varying sentences. Denis Coulson and Loick Jammes were sentenced to 14 years and Rory Grice was sentenced to 12 years.
Lawyers for all three outlined their decision to immediately appeal.
In trials that take place in La Cour d’Asisses, the top level criminal court, it is the jury that decides on both the verdict and the duration of the sentence if defendants are convicted.
Chris Farrell had been found guilty of failure to prevent a crime and was given a four-year sentence, with two years suspended.
However, he was told he would not be going to prison but placed under house arrest and would have to wear an electronic device for the duration of his sentence.
Dylan Hayes, who was also found guilty of the failure to prevent a crime was given a suspended two-year sentence.
The public profile of these five sportsmen and the serious nature of the crime, has meant that this case had been closely watched by the French press and sports media also.
Accusations against sports people have been dominating headlines.
This verdict comes several days after a court in Argentina dismissed rape charges against two French international rugby players who were accused of assaulting a woman after a match in July.
The issue of consent has also become a bigger conversation in France around rape trials with legal experts describing the need to revise the law to place consent at the heart of what constitutes a sex crime.
One of the lawyers representing the victim in this trial in Bordeaux said that these verdicts outline a message from the French justice system.
"They said to one victim today, we believe you and that is really important, I think, for the next trial because we know that there will be other trials," said Grègoire Mouly.
"We know there are other stories like this one," he said.
