Sharia: 20-year-old woman collapses after being flogged for ‘being too close’ to a man

This happened on Monday in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia.

Nur Elita, 20, and Wahyudi Saputra, 23, both university students from Sieule regency were found guilty under Sharia law of khalwat, affectionate contact by an unmarried couple.

Four other persons were convicted of violating a 2003 qanun that prohibits gambling.

And the punishment was five strokes of the cane.

But 20-year-old Elita was first on stage.

Two female members of the Sharia police led her to the stage and put her on her knees.

The building behind is a mosque.

Can you feel her agony? The crowd didn’t as they cheered while the punishment lasted.

She couldn’t stand after taking the punishment.

Then she was carried off the stage into an ambulance which took her to a hospital.

Saputra took his turn

He received his while standing

Banda Aceh deputy mayor, Zainal Arifin, who was also in the crowd said the punishment was not for mere show.

“Take these punishments as a lesson. What has been done by these convicts should not be taken as an example. And, I hope their canings in Meuraxa district today will be the last ever,” he said.

Aceh is the only province in Indonesia to implement the sharia-based system, which was first implemented in 2003 following the province’s awarding of special autonomy status..