How can I help my neighbor? Can you give me some advice on how I can help my neighbor in the situation that he is in?

My neighbor was talking to someone’s wife, and the wife told him that she is abused by her husband. My neighbor wanted to help her through her situation. My neighbor decided to tell a lot of people in our town that the wife’s husband is a woman beater. I live in a small town so word got around fast. He even attempted to persuade the wife to press charges against her husband. My neighbor spent his own money on a lawyer, but the wife never showed up to court. Now there are some people that think my neighbor is a lair. How can I help my neighbor? I live in US by the way.