The woman and her partner were publicly caned in Banda Aceh
Sharia police and law officers carry a woman who fainted after being publicly caned(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A woman subjected to public caning as punishment had to be carried away after losing consciousness. The unnamed woman endured 100 lashes for allegedly engaging in sexual relations outside marriage in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Both she and her partner faced punishment for the ‘offence’ on the northern tip of Sumatra island on Thursday, according to reports.
Photographs from the scene show both individuals wincing in agony as the lashes were delivered, before the woman eventually collapsed and required assistance from those present.
Certain areas of the local province operate under Sharia law principles, which prohibit unmarried couples from having sexual relations. Public caning is reportedly used as punishment not only for extramarital sexual activity, but also for gambling, alcohol consumption, and ‘homosexual acts’.
The offence of child rape is said to carry a sentence of 200 cane strokes, imprisonment of up to 200 months or a fine equivalent to two kilograms of gold, according to the Mail.
Earlier this year, an unidentified woman and her partner allegedly each received 140 public lashes – 40 for consuming alcohol and 100 for sex outside marriage – the head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, Muhammad Rizal, told AFP. The woman lost consciousness and was later taken to an ambulance after the incident.
The pair were amongst six individuals publicly whipped for violating Islamic law, including a sharia police officer and his female companion, who were discovered together in a private location.
Mr Rizal stated at the time: “As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name.”
Last year, two men received 76 lashes each following their conviction for having sex by a Sharia court. While homosexual relations aren’t illegal under Indonesian national law, the autonomy awarded to Banda Aceh in 2001 means the federal government has no authority to intervene in the province’s Sharia law implementation.
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