
Clutching her head in her hands as she is struck across the back, an Indonesian woman is forced to endure 26 agonising lashes as punishment for having sex outside of marriage.

The woman along with the man she was accused of having sex with, faced the brutal punishment as having sex outside of wedlock is against strict Sharia law.

Pictures show how the woman was forced to kneel on the ground on the public stage in front of a mosque in Indonesia's Aceh province.

An Indonesia woman is brought on to a public stage in Banda Aceh as she prepares to receive her punishment for having sex outside of marriage

At one point, the woman appears to fall forwards and clutches her head with her veil as she cries out in pain after her lashes

Under the law, men and women, who are not spouses, are not allowed to get too close due to the 'khalwat' offence - and punishment is by public caning

Having sex outside of wedlock in Aceh is against Islamic Sharia law and a large crowd came to watch her punishment

Looking fearful, the man who hands out the punishment uses a cane to crack her across the back 26 times for violating the law as a crowd of people look on.

At one point, the woman appears to fall forwards and clutches her head with her veil as she cries out in pain.

After her brutal punishment is over, the man she is accused of having sex with is also brought to the stage, flanked by two male police officers.

He too is forced to stand there while he endures 26 lashes and the images show his face grimacing as he receives his punishment.

The two women who had been flanking the the flogging victim rush to her aid as she crouches down on the floor in pain

The two women try to pull the woman up on to her feet as she still covers her face over with her veil after being caned

A doctor comes to examine the woman who screamed out in pain after receiving 26 lashes for having sex outside of marriage

Aceh is the only province in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, that is allowed to implement Islamic Sharia law.

Under the law, men and women, who are not spouses, are not allowed to get too close due to the 'khalwat' offence - and punishment is by public caning.

Gay sex, gambling and drinking alcohol are all punishable by caning in Aceh which began implementing Sharia law after being granted special autonomy in 2001.

After her brutal punishment is over, the man she is accused of having sex with is also brought to the stage, flanked by two male police officers

He too is forced to stand there while he endures 26 lashes and the images show his face grimacing as he receives his punishment

A flurry of new Islamic laws have been introduced in Aceh in recent years, drawing howls of protest from rights groups.

Last year, Banda Aceh banned women from entertainment venues after 11pm unless they are accompanied by a husband or male family member.

Aceh district has also banned unmarried men and women from riding together on motorbikes.