Legal Coercion

If an indigent person is frivolously sued, as in egregiously fraudulently sued, and are being sued for civil damages for criminal activities for which opposing counsel clearly makes bad faith assertions while filing the complaint, further submitting no credible evidence; would it be coercion or even involuntary servitude for that person to have to represent themselves considering the alternative would be to not represent themselves and be found liable for criminal liability upon a finding of guilt for the civil/criminal charges on default?

Essentially, if a person who can’t afford a lawyer is falsely accused of civil remedies for criminal misconduct are they not effectively being denied a lawyer while being tried for a crime? (The person would not already have been tried or convicted of the criminal act, only accused and sued for the civil remedies)