Thursday, January 29, 2026 - Sharia police caned a couple 140 times each in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday for having s3x outside marriage and drinking alcohol, likely one of the severest such punishments since the deeply conservative region adopted Islamic law.
Sexual relations between an unmarried couple are strictly
outlawed in Aceh, the only place in Indonesia to impose a version of sharia.
The couple, a man and a woman, were struck on their backs
with a rattan stick in a public park while dozens of people watched, according
to an AFP reporter at the scene.
The woman fainted after enduring her punishment and was
escorted to an ambulance.
In total, the pair received 140 lashes: 100 for sex outside
marriage and 40 for consuming alcohol, the head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police,
Muhammad Rizal, told AFP.
It is thought to be one of the highest numbers of cane
lashes imposed since Sharia was implemented after Aceh was granted special
autonomy in 2001
The couple was among six people flogged for breaking the
Islamic code, including a sharia police officer and his female partner, who
were caught in close proximity in a private place.
That couple received 23 strikes each.
“As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our
own members. This certainly tarnishes our name,” Rizal said.
Caning retains strong support in Aceh to punish a range of
offences, including gambling, drinking alcohol, having gay s3x and having
s3xual relations outside marriage.
Last year, two men were publicly flogged 76 times each after
they were found guilty of sexual relations by the sharia court. - AFP

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