Indonesia: Woman whipped on street before baying crowd for dating

Following her punishment, the man she was dating was also subjected to the same whipping procedure.

Banda Aceh:

Three couples in the Banda Aceh province of Indonesia have been publicly flogged for dating before marriage.

According to a report in The Sun, the punishment was administered in front of a bloodthirsty crowd outside the Al Furqon Mosque in the Banda Aceh region of Indonesia.

One of the visuals shows a young woman being brought out into the street by four veiled policewomen, and put up on a stage to be administered the punishment under Sharia.

Kneeling on the stage, she is pictured closing her eyes as she prepares for the crack of the first cane stroke. A veiled man then begins to strike her repeatedly with the cane, reducing the woman to tears.

Following her punishment, the man she was dating is also subjected to the same whipping procedure, the photos show.

The offence, called khalwat, 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.

(This story originally appeared on Deccan Chronicle)