The sister of a 17-year-old who killed himself after being falsely accused of rape has described finding her brother hanging from a tree they used to play on as children, telling a new Netflix documentary that the allegation left him “a shell of a person.”

Camellia Cheshire appears in I Am Not a Rapist, which profiles three young men who say they were wrongly accused of sexual assault, and recounts how her brother, Jay Cheshire, was left distraught after a complaint led to a police investigation in spring 2015. Two weeks after the allegation was withdrawn, Jay hanged himself; he was found alive by a dog walker, taken to hospital and died two days later on July 5, 2015.

Jay Cheshire was a sixth-form student at Bitterne Park School in Southampton studying English literature, film studies and geography and had hoped to study history at university. Camellia told filmmakers that an incident one night in spring 2015 left her brother shaken. "He said they were involved in foreplay, he was laying next to her and he'd gotten on top of her and she just froze," she said in the film. She described him as "distraught" after learning the girl had reported him to police.

The family say Jay phoned police for information and agreed to attend the station for voluntary questioning. A duty solicitor advised him to answer "no comment" on the basis that the initial statement contained inconsistencies. Camellia, who accompanied her brother because he was a minor, told the documentary that the interviewing officer asked direct questions about rape and penetration in a way that made Jay want to answer, and that he was treated "like a criminal."

Two weeks later the family were told the complainant had withdrawn the allegation and there would be no further action, but by then, Camellia said, Jay had "spiralled completely." She said he bought his favourite energy drink and a bag of crisps before he was found.

An inquest heard that Jay had a history of low moods, was prescribed antidepressants and had been under psychiatric care since the age of 13. He had been due to undergo cognitive behaviour therapy although clinicians had recorded an improvement in March 2015 and considered CBT not urgently needed. The family contacted his care team again in May saying he was under pressure because of the police investigation. On June 24, 2015, Jay told psychiatrists he believed the investigation was over and he was expecting to find work.

Central Hampshire senior coroner Grahame Short recorded a verdict of suicide, saying Jay had struggled to cope with the false accusation and the ensuing investigation. The coroner noted the young man’s pre-existing mental health issues and the impact the police inquiry had on his wellbeing.

Camellia read aloud a letter Jay wrote the day before his death addressed "to the ones I love," in which he thanked their mother. In the documentary she describes the moment the family were told he had been found: her mother screamed for them to get dressed and go to hospital after police knocked at the door.

I Am Not a Rapist places the Cheshire case alongside the stories of other young men who say their lives were profoundly affected by false allegations. The film examines the experiences of the accused during police interviews, the aftermath when complaints are withdrawn, and the long-term consequences for the men and their families.

Police and prosecution practices surrounding sexual offence investigations have been subject to public scrutiny and legal review in recent years. Coroner’s findings in individual inquests do not set legal precedent but can prompt discussion about support for vulnerable suspects, the conduct of interviews and access to mental health care during and after investigations.

Jay’s family has spoken publicly about his ambitions and the changes they saw in him after the complaint. The inquest testimony, statements in the documentary and family recollections together outline a timeline from the spring 2015 allegation and police interview to the withdrawal of the complaint and Jay’s death in early July 2015.

The film is available on Netflix and includes interviews with family members, legal advisers and the men at the centre of the stories it tells. It adds to ongoing conversations about the handling of sexual offence allegations and the support systems for those subject to investigation as well as the complainants.