The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday took serious note of the rising crimes against children in the country, reported Live Law. Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh said although little girls were worshiped in India, cases of pedophilia were on the rise.

Singh made the remarks while denying bail to a man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. “This is the time to strictly stop this kind of crime,” the court said in its order, according to Bar and Bench.

The court said the common man will not trust the judiciary if courts do not take the right decision at the right time. Children who have experienced sexual abuse tend to be more vulnerable to abuse in their adult life, said the court, adding that the healing process can be slow and systematic.

The accused Jasman Singh had moved the Allahabad High Court for bail. He has been charged under provisions sexual assault of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.

The High Court added:

“In this case, a small innocent girl has been raped, who does not understand its meaning. Little girls are worshiped in our country, but the cases of pedophilia are increasing. Rape is a heinous crime. The victim suffers from psychological effects of embarrassment, disgust, depression, guilt and even suicidal tendencies. Many cases go unreported. In almost rape cases, the victim was unwilling to report the name of the abuser.”

— Allahabad High Court

The incident took place on February 17, 2019 when the girl was alone at home. Singh allegedly barged into the house and threatened to kill the minor. He dragged her by her hair to a room and raped her. The crime came to light when the girl’s family found her unconscious and naked. Singh was caught when he tried to flee by scaling a wall.

In his bail plea, Singh denied the allegations and claimed that there was an affair between him and the girl. He also claimed that the girl’s family falsely implicated him in the case because there was a land dispute between them.

The court said it found nothing regarding the alleged land dispute. It also took note of the accused’s criminal history and rejected his bail plea.