Latest news with #punishment
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Chilling execution of ‘washed up' Medieval woman revealed as experts say brutal punishment was a ‘warning to others'
THE remains of a roughly 1,200-year-old woman found on the shores of the River Thames have exposed the brutal punishment practices of early Medieval Britain. London between 600 to 800 AD, or Lundenwic as it was then known, was a very different place than it is today. 3 3 The settlement, which covered the area of modern-day Covent Garden, was made up of narrow, winding streets and buildings made of timber and straw. It had a population of roughly 8,000 people - a far cry from the 9.26million residents that live there today. The remains of one Londoner, believed to have lived during the early medieval period between 680 and 810 AD, act as an example of these practices. Lawbreakers appeared to be executed in the streets, according to experts, and their bodies were left to decompose for all to see as a warning to others. The woman, whose remains have been categorised as UPT90 sk 1278 in museum records, was between the ages of 28 and 40 when she died. She was not buried, but rather sandwiched between two sheets of bark, lying on a mat of reeds with moss pads placed on her face, pelvis, and knees. When the woman was first excavated in 1991, archaeologists noted that she was likely placed on the foreshore of the Thames where her remains were in public view. "The burial treatment of UPT90 sk 1278 lets us know that her body was meant to be visible on the landscape, which could be interpreted as a warning to witnesses," said Dr. Madeline Mant, who studied the remains once they were moved to the London Museum. Dr. Mant and her colleagues published their findings in the journal World Archaeology. Biggest burial site in Greek history guarded by two headless sphinx unearthed and it could be tomb of Alexander the Great "We can tell from the osteobiography of this individual and their burial treatment that they were executed, but the specific offense is impossible to know for certain," she added. "We can only infer from the law codes of the period." Just two weeks before her death, the woman was subject to torturous beatings and an eventual execution, researchers wrote. Her body was laden with over 50 individual signs of injury, with fractures on her shoulders and spine resembling that of a car accident victim, according to experts. The researchers believe the 9th-century woman may have been beaten or flogged - where a victim is repeatedly hit with a whip or a stick. The second round of injuries on her torso and skull suggest the woman was punched or kicked repeatedly, in what experts have likened to torture beatings. Her execution was a final blow to the left side of her head. Dr. Mant said her death was likely a form of capital punishment, which were becoming increasingly common in the period the woman is understood to have lived. "Early Medieval England was a time of change regarding law codes - the law code of Æthelberht (c. 589–616) did not include corporal punishment, but that of Wihtred of Kent (690–725) outlined specific punishments, for instance, beatings for those who could not pay fines," explained Dr. Mant. "Capital punishments were also included when willed by the king. "As time passed, more crimes were associated with the death penalty under King Alfred (871–899). "Crimes such as theft, treason, witchcraft, and sorcery could be met with the death penalty, which could be brought about by stoning or drowning." 3 The woman's diet consisted of terrestrial foods, like grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, and eggs. However, her remains show a period of increased stable nitrogen values sometime after she turned 5-years-old. This could mean the woman either began eating more meat, or she suffered a period of starvation, during which her body began breaking down its own fat and protein stores. Starvation was a significant threat in early Medieval London, particularly for those who migrated to the city.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
100 lashes each for unmarried sex: Couple are flogged in front of a crowd as part of Sharia law punishment in Indonesia
A couple in Indonesia were publicly flogged 100 times each after they were found guilty of sex outside marriage by a court operating under strict Islamic law. The man and woman stood in front of a crowd in the country's conservative Aceh province on Wednesday as they received their brutal punishment. Sexual relations between an unmarried couple is outlawed in Aceh - which is the only area that practices Sharia law in Indonesia, and the only region where floggings take place. Shocking images show the pair grimacing in pain as a masked member of the Sharia police delivers the agonizing lashings. Indonesia banned sex outside of marriage in its latest criminal code in 2022 but that law will not come into force until next year. The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to a reporter at the scene. Three other suspects were caned a combined 49 times for alleged gambling and alcohol consumption. The man and woman stood in front of a crowd in Indonesia 's conservative Aceh province on Wednesday as they received their brutal punishment Sexual relations between an unmarried couple is outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of sharia, the Islamic legal code The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to a reporter at the scene 'Today we are carrying out flogging punishment for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling,' Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal told reporters. 'This becomes a moral lesson for the community at large. This flogging punishment becomes a gateway to repentance for them.' Medical services were on standby for all of those convicted. Rights groups have condemned the punishment as draconian. Yet caning retains strong support among Aceh's population as a common punishment for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol and adultery. In February two men were publicly flogged more than 150 times after being found guilty of sexual relations. Gay sex is outlawed in Aceh. The region started using religious law after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency. It comes after last year two couples received thrashes with canes after allegedly having sex outside marriage in Aceh. Horrifying pictures showed the brutal punishments of up to 20 lashes being meted out by members of the Sharia police, known as the Wilayatul Hisbah. The women are seen kneeling with their heads bowed and the men standing up as they are caned. In the aftermath, more disturbing images show one man's injuries after he received the lashes, with officials inspecting his back which is left bleeding and scarred. The victims also received medical check-ups before the thrashes were given out, with medics pictured checking the men's blood pressure.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
‘Dehumanised education': China college chided for fining teachers over class length violations
A college in China has been criticised after it fined a member of staff for starting a class one minute late, saying that the educator had caused a 'teaching accident'. The row surrounds the Guangzhou Huashang Vocational College, a non-government college in southern China's Guangdong province. On May 27 it was reported to have punished two teachers, one for starting a class one minute late, and another for ending the class two minutes too soon. The teachers were punished for either starting a class too late or finishing a teaching session too early. Photo: Shutterstock The college deducted five points from the first teacher's workload, which, according to a fellow teacher who exposed the case online, is the equivalent of a 300-yuan (US$42) salary deduction. The school deducted a further 10 points from the teacher's performance, which will affect the bonus, and issued a public warning. The second teacher, who ended a class two minutes early, was also given a public warning. The sanctions were issued in April and May respectively, along with separate warnings over less controversial 'teaching accidents' such as playing with a mobile phone while invigilating at exams, and playing video footage for too long in class.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Torture device used to punish gossip put on show in Leeds Museum
An historical contraption used as a brutal punishment for gossip has gone on display as part of a local history scold's bridle – a solid iron device worn over the head - is being exhibited in Ross, the city's museums and galleries' curator of social history, said the items gave visitors a chance to find out more about the city's hidden said: "It's difficult to imagine a device as brutal and cruel as the scold's bridle being used in towns and cities around the country. "It's very clearly a relic from a time when the concepts of both human rights and equality were very different to what they are today."Displaying these types of objects is an important, tangible reminder of how far society has come as well as an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by people who lived during an age when such an inhumane contraption was seen as an acceptable form of punishment."Used in English towns and cities as early as 1574, scold's bridles were employed to discourage individuals, usually women, who were judged to have spoken rebelliously, inappropriately or out of at Leeds City Museum, where the object is on show, believe their bridle was made in the 17th Century. They were also known as a branks, or witch's bridles. The iron frame would encase the victim's head, with a roughened iron plate located near the plate would be placed in the mouth so the victim could not move their tongue and the wearer would then be led through the streets on a chain held by one of the town's some towns, wearers would even be chained to a pillory, whipping post or market Leeds example was collected by Georgian historian Norrison Scatcherd, who lived in is on display in the museum's Leeds Story gallery, which is a changing display of finds from the city. The recent update to the exhibit also includes a silver cup made by Leeds goldsmith turned counterfeiter Arthur Mangey, which goes alongside a set of his coin-clipping Mangey was commissioned to make a silver gilt mace by Leeds City Council in 1626, but in later years he was accused of forgery and hanged in York in exhibits include a Pudsey peace jug, made by local potter John Sugden in 1801 to mark Napoleon's signing of the Concordat of 1801 with Pope Pius VII, and a bell that once hung in Leeds's Coloured Cloth Hall in 1758. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
ACT asked for advice on imprisonment for Te Pati Maori MPs over haka
ACT asked for advice on the full range of possible punishments for Te Pati Maori MPs following last year's Treaty Principles haka - including imprisonment. The Privileges Committee ended up recommending a 21-day suspension for the Te Pati Maori co-leaders and a week for Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. ACT MP Parmjeet Parmar, who is on the Privileges Committee, sought advice on possible penalties and asked if this could include a range of examples, including imprisonment. She spoke to Charlotte Cook. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
