An imputation that a person committed a crime is not necessarily defamatory; whether it is depends on the nature of the crime, the circumstances in which it was committed, and the circumstances of the person. In the case of a very young child, a jury may reasonably find that ordinary decent members of the community would feel pity and compassion rather than think less of the child, and would attribute blame to others or to the child's environment rather than to the child.
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