Couple in Indonesia Receives 140 Lashes for Extramarital Relations

A couple in Indonesia's Aceh province was subjected to 140 lashes each on Thursday as punishment for having sexual relations outside marriage and drinking alcohol. This incident marks one of the most severe penalties carried out in the deeply conservative region, which has implemented a version of Islamic law.

In Aceh, engaging in sexual relations outside of wedlock is strictly prohibited, and the region is the only one in Indonesia to enforce such Sharia regulations.

During the punishment, the couple—a man and a woman—were flogged on their backs with a rattan stick in a public park as numerous spectators witnessed the event, as reported by an AFP journalist who was present at the site.

The woman collapsed after the caning and required assistance to be taken to an ambulance.

According to Muhammad Rizal, the head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, the couple received a total of 140 lashes: 100 for engaging in sexual intercourse outside of marriage and 40 for alcohol consumption.

This number of lashes is believed to be among the highest ever administered since the introduction of Sharia law in Aceh after it received special autonomy in 2001.

The couple was not alone in facing punishment; they were part of a group of six individuals who were caned for violating Islamic codes, including a Sharia police officer and his female partner, who were caught in a private setting. That couple received 23 lashes each.

Rizal stated, “As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name.”

Public support for caning remains strong in Aceh as a disciplinary measure for various offenses, including gambling, alcohol consumption, homosexual relations, and sexual activities outside of marriage.

In a similar incident last year, two men were publicly flogged 76 times each after being convicted of extramarital sexual relations by a Sharia court.