Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Sharia police flogged a couple 140 times in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday for having sex outside of marriage and drinking alcohol, possibly one of the harshest such punishments since the ultra-conservative region adopted Islamic law.
Sex between an unmarried couple is strictly forbidden in Aceh, the only place in Indonesia that imposes its version of sharia.
The couple, a man and a woman, were beaten on the back with a rattan stick in a public park as dozens of people looked on, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
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The woman fainted after suffering her punishment and was taken to an ambulance.
In total, the couple received 140 lashes: 100 for extramarital sex and 40 for drinking alcohol, Banda Aceh’s Sharia police chief, Muhammad Rizal, told AFP.
It is believed to be one of the largest number of canings imposed since the introduction of sharia after Aceh was granted special autonomy in 2001.
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The pair were among six people beaten for breaking the Islamic code, including a Sharia police officer and his partner, who were caught nearby in a private location.
That pair had 23 strikes each.
“As we have done, we do not make exceptions, especially not for our members. This definitely tarnishes our name,” said Rizal.
Caning has strong support for punishing various crimes in Aceh, including gambling, drinking alcohol, homosexuality and having sex outside of marriage. Men can also be thrown out for missing Friday prayers.
Last year, there were two men each was publicly flogged 76 times after being found guilty by the sharia court of having sex. They were caught hugging and kissing in a public toilet.
Although there is no national law against homosexual relations in Indonesia, under the autonomy granted to Banda Aceh in 2001, the federal government cannot intervene to enforce Sharia law in the province.