Indonesian woman faints after public caning for extramarital sex in Aceh

An Indonesian woman fainted on Thursday after she and her partner were each caned 100 times in public for having sex outside marriage under Aceh’s Sharia laws.

The punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra island. The woman, whose identity was withheld, was carried away after the caning. Her partner was also flogged and seen wincing in pain.

A masked official in brown robes administered the lashes before a public gathering. The couple were among several people punished that day for violating Sharia regulations.

The Banda Aceh Sharia Court and Prosecutor’s Office handed down sentences ranging from 25 to 100 lashes for offenses including extramarital sex allegedly arranged through online applications.

Aceh is the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia that enforces Sharia law, which prohibits sexual relations between unmarried couples. Caning is commonly used for offenses such as gambling, alcohol consumption, same-sex relations, and sex outside marriage.

Under Aceh’s regulations, child rape carries some of the harshest penalties: up to 200 strokes of the cane, up to 200 months in prison, or fines equivalent to 2kg of gold. Punishments are typically carried out publicly outside mosques or in open spaces, with residents watching and recording.

Human rights groups have condemned the practice. Amnesty International said caning “contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.” The group added that it “constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture” under the UN Convention against Torture.

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Human Rights Watch has issued similar criticism, saying the punishments conflict with Indonesia’s constitution and its international legal obligations.

Local authorities defend the practice as part of Aceh’s religious and cultural identity, arguing it deters immoral behavior.

In January, another couple in the province received 140 lashes each for drinking alcohol and engaging in sex outside marriage.