Indonesia Shocker: Woman Lashed 140 Times With Rattan Cane in Aceh for Extramarital S*x and Alcohol Under Sharia Law

Aceh, January 30: A woman in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province was publicly flogged 140 times on Thursday, January 29, after being convicted of having s*x outside of marriage and consuming alcohol. The punishment, carried out by a masked Sharia official using a rattan cane, was so severe that the woman reportedly fainted during the ordeal.

The woman was immediately attended to by medical personnel and transported to a local hospital in an ambulance. Her male partner received an identical sentence of 140 lashes during the same session. The sentencing is being noted by observers as one of the harshest corporal punishments administered in recent years. Malaysia: Man Takes Illegal Sea Route To Visit Pregnant Second Wife in Indonesia, Says 1st Wife Had His Passport After Arrest.

Woman Flogged 140 Times for Sharia Violations

While public canings are a regular occurrence in the region, the high number of strokes, delivered in a single session, has reignited international debate over the human rights implications of the province’s strict religious legal code. The couple was apprehended by the Wilayatul Hisbah (Sharia Police) late last year. According to court documents, the 140-stroke penalty was a cumulative sentence: 100 lashes for "zina" (extramarital s*x) and an additional 40 lashes for the consumption of alcohol.

The flogging took place in a public park in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, in front of a crowd of onlookers. Sharia officials maintained that the public nature of the punishment serves as a "deterrent" for the community. During the execution of the sentence, the woman reportedly pleaded for the flogging to stop several times before losing consciousness. Bali Tourist Screening 2026: Indonesia’s Top Holiday Destination Introduces Stricter Visitor Checks to Shift From Mass Tourism to Quality Travel.

Following the woman’s collapse, the "executioner" paused the punishment while a medical team conducted an on-site evaluation. Once it was determined she could no longer continue, she was carried away on a stretcher. It remains unclear if the remaining lashes, should any have been left, will be administered at a later date once she recovers.

Her partner reportedly completed his full sentence of 140 lashes, though he required physical support to leave the stage. Local health officials have not provided a formal update on the woman’s condition, citing patient privacy, though witnesses described her injuries as "significant."

Sharia Law in Aceh

Aceh is the only province in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, permitted to implement Sharia law. This autonomy was granted by the central government in Jakarta in 2001 as part of an agreement to end a long-running separatist insurgency.

Under the local criminal code, known as the Qanun, corporal punishment is a legal penalty for a variety of offenses, including gambling, drinking alcohol, same-sex relations, and adultery. While many residents in Aceh support the application of Sharia law as a means of maintaining social morality, international human rights organizations have repeatedly called for its abolition, labeling the practice "cruel, inhuman, and degrading."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2026 09:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).