A couple in Indonesia’s Aceh province was publicly flogged 140 times each on Thursday for engaging in sexual relations outside marriage and consuming alcohol, in one of the harshest punishments recorded under the region’s strict Sharia law.
The man and woman were struck on their backs with a rattan cane in a public park while dozens of onlookers watched. According to reports, the woman fainted after enduring her punishment and had to be escorted to an ambulance.
Muhammad Rizal, head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, confirmed that the couple received 100 lashes for having sex outside marriage and an additional 40 for consuming alcohol.
“As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name,” Rizal said.
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The couple was among six people punished on Thursday for violating the Islamic code, including a Sharia police officer and his partner, who received 23 lashes each for being caught in a private place.
Aceh is the only province in Indonesia that enforces a version of Sharia law, where public caning remains a common form of punishment for offenses such as gambling, alcohol consumption, adultery, and homosexual activity.
Observers say caning continues to enjoy strong local support as a deterrent, despite criticism from human rights groups who view it as excessively harsh and inhumane.
Last year, two men were publicly flogged 76 times each after being found guilty of sexual relations by the Sharia court.