Nine men guilty of raping are placed on probation or given suspended sentences

There is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made.
Boni Robertson, an Aboriginal activist
Sentences were "appropriate" because they were the penalties sought by the prosecution.
Judge Sarah Bradley
Rape case ruling shocks Australia (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7136269.stm)

What I would like to know is why the details of the incident are so vague that the Prime Minister is calling it violent, and the judge says consent was likely. What the fuck happened?