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Woman lashed 140 instances in Sharia legislation caning for intercourse ‘outdoors marriage’

A couple were caned 140 times each for having intercourse outside marriage in what is thought to be one of the most severe punishments since Sharia Law was implemented in Indonesia’s Aceh province in 2001

A woman collapsed after being lashed 140 times for having sex outside marriage in a brutal Sharia Law punishment. The woman was seen wincing in pain in horror photos as she was publicly flogged before being carried away on a stretcher.

The woman and her male partner were struck on their backs with a rattan stick in a public park on Thursday (January 29) in the province of Aceh in Indonesia. It is thought to be one of the most severe Sharia Law lashings carried out since it was implemented in the province in 2001.

Sexual relations between an unmarried couple are strictly outlawed in Aceh, the only place in Indonesia to impose a version of Sharia.

The couple were sentenced to 100 lashings each for the premarital punishment as well as another 40 for drinking alcohol, which is also banned under Sharia Law. Pictures of the canings showed the woman – dressed all in white – kneeling as an imposing masked man whipped her repeatedly with a cane.

Other images showed her wiping away tear and being pictured being wheeled off in a stretcher following her beatings. Her partner appeared to grimace in pain in separate photographs.

The couple was among six people flogged for breaking the Islamic code. The others included a sharia police officer and his female partner, who were caught in close proximity in a private place.

They received 23 strikes each. The head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police Muhammad Rizal said afterwards: “As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members.

“This certainly tarnishes our name.” Sharia is Islam’s legal system which covers all the laws within the religion and acts as a code by which Muslims must adhere to and often includes topics such as prayer, fasting rules and punishments.

In Arabic, Sharia translates to “the clear, well-trodden path to water” and aims as a way for Muslims to live their lives according to God’s wishes.

Sex outside marriage, gambling and drinking alcohol are all forbidden under the law with those found guilty often lashed.

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“Theft can be punishable by the offender having their hand chopped off and adultery has been punished by a woman being stoned to death.

Hundreds of people receive a range of lashings each year in Aceh, which remains the only province in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law.

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