Woman collapses after receiving 140 lashes for extramarital s£x and alcohol consumption in Indonesia.
A woman collapsed in public after she and her male partner were subjected to 140 lashes each for having sex outside marriage and consuming alcohol in Indonesia’s Aceh province, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, where dozens of residents gathered in a public park to witness the caning. Sharia police officers administered the lashes using rattan sticks, striking the convicts on their backs in line with local Islamic criminal laws.
According to officials, each of the two convicts received a total of 140 lashes — 100 strokes for engaging in sexual relations outside marriage and an additional 40 for drinking alcohol. During the punishment, the woman reportedly fainted and had to be escorted from the scene in an ambulance for medical attention.
The head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, Muhammad Rizal, said the punishment was carried out in accordance with existing laws and court rulings. He noted that the number of lashes imposed on the couple is among the highest recorded since Aceh formally began enforcing Sharia law following the province’s special autonomy status in 2001.
Aceh is the only province in Indonesia that enforces a version of Islamic law, under which activities such as extramarital sex, alcohol consumption, gambling, and same-sex relations are criminalised. Punishments under the law include public caning, which remains a common and widely supported practice among sections of the local population.
The couple was not alone in facing punishment on the day. Reports indicate that six individuals in total were flogged for various violations of the Islamic code. Among them was a Sharia police officer and his female partner, who were reportedly caught together in a private location. That pair received 23 lashes each.
Authorities maintained that the enforcement of the law applies to everyone without exception. “As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members,” Rizal said, adding that any violation by law enforcement officers damages the credibility of the institution.
Public caning continues to draw criticism from international human rights groups, who argue that the practice is degrading and violates international standards. However, local officials in Aceh have consistently defended the punishments, saying they reflect the values and legal framework chosen by the province.
Similar punishments have been carried out in the past. Last year, two men were publicly flogged 76 times each after being convicted by a Sharia court for sexual relations outside marriage, underscoring Aceh’s continued strict enforcement of Islamic law.
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