A public caning in Indonesia’s Aceh left a woman unconscious after she and her partner were punished under Sharia law.
A woman collapsed during a public punishment in Indonesia’s Aceh province after she and her partner were caned for violating Islamic law.
The incident took place on Thursday at a public park, where dozens of onlookers gathered as the couple faced punishment for having sex outside marriage and consuming alcohol, offences strictly prohibited under Aceh’s Sharia regulations.
Officials confirmed that the man and woman were each struck 140 times on their backs with a rattan cane. The punishment was carried out by Sharia officers in line with local laws enforced in the province.
Midway through the punishment, the woman reportedly lost consciousness. She was later escorted to an ambulance and photographed being wheeled away on a stretcher for medical attention.
According to Muhammad Rizal, head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, the sentence included 100 lashes for sex outside marriage and 40 lashes for drinking alcohol.
Aceh remains the only province in Indonesia that formally enforces a version of Sharia law, which applies to both residents and, in some cases, visitors.
The couple was not alone. Authorities said six people were punished during the same public event for breaching Islamic codes.
Among them was a Sharia police officer and his female partner, who were found together in a private setting considered inappropriate under the law. That pair received 23 lashes each.
Rizal stressed that enforcement's applies to everyone without exception.
“As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name,” he said.
Public caning remains a controversial practice, drawing criticism from human rights groups. However, Aceh’s local government continues to defend the punishments as part of its legal and religious framework.
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