By Ekene Nwabueze
A woman has fainted after she and her partner
were each given 100 lashes in a public punishment for having sex outside
marriage under strict Sharia law in Indonesia’s Aceh province.
The incident took place
in Banda Aceh, a city at the northern tip of Sumatra island, where public
caning is still used as a form of punishment for certain offences.
The woman, whose
identity was not made public, was unable to remain standing after receiving the
lashes and had to be carried away once the punishment ended. Her partner was
also visibly in pain, grimacing as the strokes were delivered.
The punishment was
carried out in front of a crowd of onlookers on Thursday, with a masked
official dressed in brown robes administering the caning. The event drew public
attention as residents gathered to watch what is a legally sanctioned but
controversial practice in the region.
Both
individuals were among several people punished by the Banda Aceh Sharia Court
and the local Prosecutor’s Office. Sentences ranged from 25 lashes to as many
as 100, depending on the offence.
Authorities
said the cases involved violations of local Islamic law, including extramarital
sex. Some reports also suggested that dating arrangements made through mobile
apps were linked to the offences.
Aceh
province remains the only part of Indonesia — the world’s largest
Muslim-majority country — where Sharia law is officially enforced at a regional
level. Under these rules, sexual relations outside marriage are illegal for
unmarried couples.
Caning
is one of the most common punishments used in the province. It is applied not
only for sex outside marriage, but also for gambling, alcohol consumption and
same-sex relationships.
In more
serious cases, the penalties can be even harsher. Offences such as child rape
can attract up to 200 strokes of the cane, long prison terms of up to 200
months, or heavy fines calculated in gold.
Punishments
are usually carried out in public spaces, often outside mosques or in open
squares, where members of the community are encouraged to watch. In many cases,
spectators take photos or videos as the sentences are enforced.
Supporters
of the system say public punishment is meant to act as both a deterrent and a
moral lesson. They argue that it reflects local religious values and cultural
traditions that have been in place for years.
However,
the practice has drawn strong criticism from international human rights
organisations, who say it is cruel and humiliating.
Groups
such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly called for
an end to public flogging, arguing that it violates basic human dignity and
international law.
Amnesty
International has described caning as a form of punishment that can amount to
torture. The organisation says it goes against Indonesia’s constitutional
commitments as well as global agreements against inhumane treatment.
Despite
such criticism, authorities in Aceh continue to defend the system. They insist
it is part of the region’s identity and believe it helps discourage behaviour
they consider immoral under Islamic principles.
Officials
maintain that without such strict enforcement, social order and religious
values in the province would weaken.
This is
not an isolated case. Earlier in January, another couple in the same province
reportedly received 140 lashes each after being found guilty of drinking
alcohol and having sex outside marriage.
Those
punishments, like Thursday’s incident, were also carried out in public and drew
similar reactions from witnesses and rights groups.
For now, Aceh’s legal system remains unchanged, and public
caning continues to be used as a visible form of punishment — one that divides
opinion sharply between local authorities who support it and international
critics who condemn it.
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