Banda Aceh: In yet another shocking incident, a couple in Indonesia's Banda Aceh province was publicly flogged for having an affair and violating the Sharia law.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the couple was flogged with a cane stick in front of the baying crowd. They were punished for their adulterous relationship.
As the couple were produced in the middle of a busy square, they were ordered to stand with their hands crossed. Holding a cane in his hand, a masked man stepped forward from the crowd and awarded each of them with six strikes of the cane.
The woman is said to have been in a relationship with the man, despite being married to another. She was the first one to receive punishment, following which she was led away. The man is then brought into the square to receive his share of punishment.
The offence is common in Banda Aceh. The province began to introduce Sharia punishments in 2001, but now a host of actions, including drinking, premarital sex, homosexuality and gambling are punishable.
Additionally, women are forbidden to be alone at an entertainment venue after 11 pm – they must be accompanied by a male chaperone.
Banda Aceh lies on the western tip of Sumatra and is home to nearly five million Indonesians.
