Ching Shih's code had special rules for female captives. Standard practice was to release women, but J.L. Turner witnessed differently. Usually, the pirates made their most beautiful captives their concubines or wives. If a pirate took a wife he had to be faithful to her. The ones deemed unattractive were released and any remaining were ransomed. Pirates that raped female captives were put to death. If pirates had consensual sex with captives, the pirate was beheaded and the woman had cannonballs attached to her legs and was thrown over the side of the boat.