Indonesian woman lashed 100 times for 'being in presence of man she was not married to'

Caning had to be paused because woman was in such pain

An Acehnese woman is whipped as punishment in front of the public in Banda Aceh, Indonesia (EPA/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK)

An Indonesian woman was reportedly hospitalised after she was lashed 100 times in public, as punishment for being caught in a private place with a man she was not married to.

Named only as Mazidah, the 30-year-old's caning was watched by thousands in Lhokseumawe, a city in the strongly conservative province of Aceh.

It took place after Friday prayers and had to be occasionally paused because she was crying out in agony, Australian broadcaster, ABC reported.

The man she was found with also received a lashing but did not need hospital treatment. A third man found guilty of another crime was also flogged.

Public canings, used as a punishment for the violation of Islamic law, are common in Aceh, with 339 taking place last year, according to the Institute of Criminal Justice Reform, a think-tank based in the country's capital, Jakarta.

It is the only province in the country where they are used.

But human rights campaigners fear they could be occurring with increasing frequency.

Earlier this year, two gay men were canned 83 times for having consensual sex in private.

Following an international outcry over the floggings, authorities in Aceh Province had reportedly considered carrying out corporal punishment in private to avoid bad publicity.

But the latest public display of flogging apparently indicates the local government’s willingness to continue as before.

In addition to consensual sex outside of marriage and gay sex, Islamic law in the province also bans other activities including gambling and drinking alcohol.