Whipped until he collapses: Child rapist sentenced to 169 lashes in Indonesia falls down after 52 - meaning he will be beaten a second time

A convicted child rapist was whipped until he collapsed in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh under the province's strict Sharia Laws. 

The man, named only as Roni in local reports, was due to be hit 169 times with a rattan cane in a public building on Thursday, but fell down after 52 strikes.

Medical examiners ruled that he was unfit to continue, meaning he will be beaten a second time, when the remaining 117 lashes will be administered.

A man, named in local reports as 'Roni', was beaten in a public building in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh on Thursday after serving six months in prison for child rape

Roni had been sentenced to 175 lashes, reduced to 169 for the six months he spent in jail, but collapsed after 52 as medical examiners rushed to assist him

Medics ruled that Roni was unfit to continue with the punishment after collapsing, meaning he will have to come back a second time when the remaining 117 lashes will be administered

A medic wearing a face mask to protect herself against coronavirus examines the man after he collapsed during his punishment, ruling him unfit to continue because blood vessels in his back might rupture

Roni had already served six months in jail before the beating was carried out, which had reduced his sentence from 175 to 169 - one for each month behind bars.

'When he was lashed 52 times, he was found on his right back there were heavy blisters, if he continued and was hit by the same beating, the blood vessels could burst and bleed," one of the medics told IDN Times.

'It is better if we postpone it until the recovery is good and the convict can be punished again.'

Roni was whipped alongside five people who had been convicted of gambling, and were given eight lashes of the cane each. 

Whipping is used to punish a variety of crimes in Banda Aceh, Indonesia's most-conservative province, and the only one to base its legal system on Sharia Law. 

Drinking, having an affair and homosexual sex can also be punished with whipping under the legal system. 

Roni was beaten in front of a socially-distanced crowd in the province of Banda Aceh, the only province in Indonesia to use Sharia Law as the basis of its legal code

As well as the convicted rapist, another five people were also beaten for gambling - though they were only forced to suffer eight lashes of the cane each

Banda Aceh is the only Indonesian province to use punishments based on Sharia Law, which include whippings for those caught drinking, gambling or having gay sex