A couple in Indonesia has been caned 140 times for having sex outside marriage and drinking alcohol because it violates Sharia, or Islamic religious law.
The 21-year-old woman fainted after what authorities said was a record number of strokes meted out during a public caning session in Aceh province.
Three female officers took turns hitting her with a rattan cane while she cried. After collapsing, she was carried off the stage by female officers to an ambulance.
The couple was caned alongside four others, including an officer from the Islamic police force, all guilty of violating Sharia.
Caning is a common punishment for breaking Islamic law in the religiously conservative Aceh, although the practice has received criticism from rights groups claiming it is cruel.
Under Aceh's Islamic criminal code, sex outside marriage results in 100 strokes, while alcohol consumption warrants 40 strokes.
Azharul Husna, the Aceh coordinator for Indonesian rights group Kontras, stated that canings are not properly regulated, advocating for improved rules to support individuals post-punishment.
The Islamic police officer was caned 23 times for being in a private space with his female partner.
Caught alone with her in her house, Muhammad Rizal, the head of Aceh's Islamic police force, informed the BBC Indonesian that the officer would be dismissed.
Aceh is the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia to enforce Sharia law, punishing numerous offences with public canings.
