A woman collapsed after she and her partner were each sentenced to 100 lashes for engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage under Sharia law in Indonesia’s Aceh province.
The punishment was carried out publicly in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital on the northern tip of Sumatra Island. The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, reportedly lost consciousness after the caning and had to be carried away from the scene.
A masked official dressed in brown robes administered the lashes. Her partner was also seen grimacing as he endured the punishment.
The couple were among several people punished that day for violating Aceh’s Islamic criminal code. Authorities said offenders received between 25 and 100 lashes for various offenses, including extramarital sex, some of which were allegedly arranged through online applications.
Aceh is the only province in Indonesia that enforces Sharia law. Under its regulations, sexual relations outside marriage are prohibited, and caning remains a legal punishment for offenses including gambling, alcohol consumption, same-sex relations and adultery.
The public nature of the punishment is intended to serve as both a deterrent and a form of public shaming. Canings are commonly conducted outside mosques or in public squares, where residents gather to watch.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the practice. Amnesty International has argued that caning violates Indonesia’s constitutional commitments and international human rights obligations, describing it as a cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment that can amount to torture.
The latest incident follows similar cases in recent years. In January, another unmarried couple received 140 lashes each after being found guilty of drinking alcohol and engaging in sexual relations outside marriage. The woman in that case also collapsed and required medical attention after the punishment.
Last year, two men were sentenced to 76 lashes each after a Sharia court found them guilty of engaging in same-sex relations.
Sharia law was formally introduced in Aceh in 2002, with additional regulations enacted the following year. While local officials defend the practice as part of the province’s religious and cultural identity, critics argue that it damages Indonesia’s human rights reputation and causes lasting physical and psychological harm to those subjected to it.
Source: Daily Mail News
