A court in Delhi has sentenced a man to 10 years in jail for raping a four-year old boy, saying that the trauma of being sexually assaulted does not go away and corrodes pleasant memories, PTI reported on Wednesday.

“Sexual assault upon a child leaves its deep rooted scars on the entire persona of the victim,” Additional Sessions Judge Seema Maini said while sentencing Manoj, a resident of North Delhi. “These scars do not heal up ever, despite the best medical aid. They are corrosive in nature, corroding every smile, every pleasant memory and every moment of happiness coming to the victim’s way.”

The judge said that Manoj, who was the boy’s neighbour, had robbed him of a carefree childhood. “In a country, where idols are worshipped, rivers are treated as a mother-figure, fasts are performed frequently for the long life of one’s husband and children, it is an unfortunate scenario that some of these ‘children’, who are blessed with a long life are forced to live the life of frustration, depression and morbidity.”

In her complaint, the boy’s mother had said that on September 8, 2014, Manoj took the boy to his house, saying he had some food for him. She went looking for her son after not hearing from him for a long time. She then saw Manoj running away, and that her son was unconscious. Manoj had claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case because of his feud with the family.