Woman caned in Indonesia for 'standing too close to her boyfriend' An Indonesian woman has been caned in front of a jeering crowd on Monday after being accused of "standing too close to her boyfriend". The woman, who has not been identified, was among 13 people flogged in Aceh province on the western island of Sumatra for allegedly breaking strict Islamic laws, which ban intimate behaviour such as touching, hugging, and kissing between unmarried people. Photographs of the young woman crying out in pain have been shared by local and international media, amid growing concerns over the rising number of people - particularly women - subjected to corporal punishment in the region. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, but Aceh is the only province which imposes sharia law. People in the region can be flogged for a number of "offences", including gambling, drinking alcohol, and gay sex, in addition to any consensual sex outside of marriage. Read More

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