Sharia police in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday punished a man and a woman with public caning for breaking Islamic law.
The couple were given 140 lashes each for having sex outside marriage and for drinking alcohol. This penalty is thought to be among the most severe in Aceh’s recent history.
In Indonesia, only the province of Aceh is permitted to impose Islamic law. Under this law, sexual relations between unmarried couples are strictly forbidden.
The caning took place in a public park in Banda Aceh, the capital of the province. Dozens of people watched as the man and woman were struck on the back with a rattan cane.
The woman reportedly passed out during the punishment and was transported in an ambulance. Reporters were informed of the punishment by Muhammad Rizal, the chief of Banda Aceh’s sharia police. He claimed that the couple got 40 lashes for consuming alcohol and 100 lashes for having sex outside of marriage.
Six individuals were punished that day for violating Islamic law, including the two. Public caning is still widely supported in Aceh and is used to punish crimes like gambling, drinking alcohol, and sex outside marriage.
