Pictures show young Indonesian woman sobbing as she is caned in public for having sex outside marria

Cowering on her knees after being whipped across the back, this Indonesian woman has just been caned in public for having sex outside marriage. The young woman was brought to the public stage in Banda Aceh and forced down on to her knees by two guards. A masked man then repeatedly canes her across the back as she clenches her fists and appears to bite her veil while receiving her punishment.

The woman can also been seen crying out in agony, and after the punishment is over, she has to be led away on a stretcher for treatment. A public caning is just one of the punishments handed out to people breaking Sharia law in Banda Aceh, the only province in Indonesia, where it is still followed closely.

Sharia law is the legal system of Islam which is derived from both the Koran and the rulings of the religion's scholars. It acts as a code that all Muslims are adhered to live to and include rules of prayers, fasting and donations to the poor and covers both public and private behaviour.

Pictures also show crowds gathering to watch another two men also receive the same punishment for having sex outside of marriage. One man can be seen grimacing as the cane strikes his back while another tries to balance on crutches as he receives his punishment. Islamic laws have been strengthened since the province struck a peace deal with the central government in 2005.

Last month, the local government banned Valentine's Day celebrations, including giving cards or chocolates, deeming it an 'unlawful act' under Sharia law. Earlier this year, Banda Aceh also banned women from entertainment venues after 11pm unless they are accompanied by a husband or male family member.

In 2015, a district in Aceh enacted a bylaw requiring schools to teach boys and girls separately, and another banned women from straddling motorcycles when riding with a driver.

More than 90 per cent of Indonesians describe themselves as Muslim, but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the faith.