A couple in Indonesia’s Aceh province were publicly caned on April 7 after being found guilty of having sexual relations outside of marriage, according to an AFP report.
The punishment was carried out in a public park in Banda Aceh, where the man and woman—whose ages were not disclosed—each received 100 lashes while dozens of spectators watched.
Officials said the punishment was enforced under Islamic syariah law, which is applied in Aceh, the only province in Indonesia where such a legal system is in place.
“We implement Islamic law in Aceh, so whenever someone violates it, we have to carry out punishments like the caning we just conducted,” said Rajesh Kana from the local prosecutors’ office.
Authorities said sexual relations between unmarried individuals are prohibited in the province, and those found guilty are subject to corporal punishment.
In addition to the couple, four other individuals were also caned on the same day for offences including physical contact between unmarried individuals and alcohol consumption, receiving between eight and 29 strokes each.
The punishment was administered using a rattan cane by enforcement officers, with an AFP reporter present at the scene.
In a separate case earlier this year, a woman reportedly fainted during caning after receiving 27 lashes, highlighting the severity of such punishments.
Support for caning remains strong in Aceh, where syariah law has been enforced since 2015 and covers offences such as gambling and same-sex relations.
