Yes a person can defend themselves against sociopathic character assassination by not allowing the behavior to be concealed. Exposure of the behavior of a sociopath forces them to acknowledge their incorrect behavior if they are confronted in the proper manner.

Character assassination refers to the deliberate attempt to harm someone's reputation by spreading false or misleading information about them. This can involve spreading rumors, making unfounded accusations, or using personal attacks to undermine someone's credibility or social standing. Character assassination is often done with the intention of causing harm or ostracizing the targeted individual.

Yes, I think so. Can you provide cases that have been won with compensation?

Character assassination.

Who's assassination? There were several.