Aceh: A girl and her boyfriend were publicly flogged on Thursday at the Indonesian state of Aceh for displaying affection in public. The girl and her boyfriend each received 17 lashes for publicly cuddling. According to a government spokesman, the act was a violation of the state’s strict interpretation of Sharia law.
The duo was administered punishment by a masked individual in front of a mosque in the provincial capital Banda Aceh.
The individual stroked the two teenagers, one after the other, in front of a crowd.
According to CNN, unlike the rest of Indonesia, Aceh province follows strict Islamic laws, which make sexual activity outside marriage illegal and prohibit same-sex relations.