Oppression

Gang-Raped Indonesian Woman
May Be Caned Publicly

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — An Indonesian woman
who was gang-raped by men accusing her of
having extramarital sex may be caned publicly for
violating Islamic law, an official said Wednesday.
The 25-year-old widow said she was raped by
eight men who allegedly found her with a married
man in her house. The men reportedly beat the
man, doused the two with sewage, and then turned
them over to Islamic police in conservative Aceh
province.
The alleged attack occurred early Thursday in
Lhokbani, a village in East Aceh district.
The head of Islamic Shariah law in the district,
Ibrahim Latief, said his office has recommended
the widow and the married man be caned nine
times for violating religious law, pending an
investigation. Its preliminary finding was that the
two were about to have sex at that time, but Latief
contended they violated Shariah law by being in
the same room together. He said they also
admitted they had sex earlier.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
nation of 240 million people, has a policy of
secularism but allows Aceh, a predominantly
Muslim province on the northern tip of Sumatra, to
implement a version of Sharia Islamic law.
Police have arrested three of the eight men and are
hunting for the others.
East Aceh police chief Lt. Col. Hariadi said those
arrested are being questioned on charges of rape.
One of the accused is a 13-year-old boy, who
would be charged as an adult but prosecuted in a
closed-door trial.
Latief said the eight could be caned for raping the
woman, but "it will be too lenient if they just
received the same punishment of nine strokes."
The criminal charge of rape carries a maximum
penalty of 15 years.