Can you be punished for this?

Can you be punished for a trial that results from a slanderous statement you made as a child? Like someone thinks the person you accused may have hurt someone so they are taken to court by law enforcement, but it's completely false and nothing comes of it. Would the person who made the false statement as a child be put in jail or sued for making a statement that results in a pointless trial? I'm not talking about making a false police report, just making a statement that is intercepted by law enforcement at some point.