Woman Faints After 140 Lashes for Premarital Sex, Alcohol Consumption
Woman Faints After 140 Lashes for Premarital Sex, Alcohol Consumption
A woman fainted in Indonesia’s Aceh province after receiving 140 lashes with a rattan cane, a punishment delivered for having sex outside of marriage and consuming alcohol.
The sentencing is considered one of the harshest ever recorded in the region since it adopted Sharia law. The woman and her male partner, who also received 140 lashes, were punished publicly in a park as dozens of onlookers watched the event unfold.
The punishment was divided into two specific violations: 100 lashes for the act of sex outside of marriage and an additional 40 lashes for the consumption of alcohol.
According to reports from the scene, the physical toll on the woman was so severe that she lost consciousness after the completion of the strikes. She had to be carried away by officials and was subsequently escorted to a waiting ambulance for medical attention.
Aceh is the only province in Indonesia the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation authorized to implement Sharia law. This legal autonomy was granted in 2001 as part of an effort to end a long-running separatist insurgency. Under these local laws, various activities that are legal elsewhere in Indonesia, such as gambling, drinking alcohol, and same-sex relations, are punishable by public flogging.
The event was part of a larger disciplinary session involving six individuals accused of violating the Islamic code.
Among those punished were a Sharia police officer and his female partner, who were caught in “close proximity” in a private space. This couple received 23 lashes each, a significantly lower number than the 140 lashes handed down to the couple charged with sex and alcohol consumption.
In addressing the involvement of an officer in the day’s floggings, the head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, Muhammad Rizal, emphasized that the law applies to everyone regardless of their position.
He addressed the embarrassment the situation caused the department, stating, “As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name.”
While international human rights organizations and even Indonesia’s central government have frequently criticized public caning as a cruel and inhumane practice, it continues to enjoy strong local support within Aceh.
This latest incident serves as a stark reminder of the strict enforcement of the province’s moral codes, which continue to result in severe physical punishments for those found in violation.
