MADRID — In a case that was seen as a bellwether for women’s rights in Spain, a court on Thursday sentenced five men for sexually abusing a woman during the bull-running festival of Pamplona, but cleared them of raping her, to the dismay of women’s associations.

Shortly after the verdict, various women’s groups announced that they would lead protests on Thursday evening across Spain to condemn the ruling. The five men were sentenced to nine years in prison for “continuous sexual abuse,” rather than the almost 23 years in prison that the prosecution had sought for rape and other charges.

The woman’s lawyer said she would appeal the ruling. The government of Navarre, the region of Pamplona where the case was heard, said it would back the appeal. The case could go as far as the Spanish Supreme Court.

The attack took place in July 2016, during the festivities in Pamplona that have turned into one of Spain’s main tourism attractions, when visitors flock to the city to watch people try to dodge bulls hurtling down narrow streets on their way to the ring.