An Indonesian woman charged with breaking local Islamic law that outlaws public displays of affection outside of marriage collapsed, Thursday, September 19, after receiving 22 whips in public under the Islamic law in the ultra-conservative Aceh province in northern Sumatra.
She was arrested along with the man and two other couples also guilty of a similar crime. Her partner received 24 whips on the same stage. The Indonesian parliament is debating a new penal code that criminalizes consensual sex outside marriage.
Aceh is the only province in majority-Muslim Indonesia that follows Islamic law and imposes public caning for crimes like theft, gambling and adultery. In 2014, the province outlawed homosexuality. (Reuters)
