The 23-year-old 'vivacious, straight-A student' was put under increased psychological stress by the decision to prosecute her, an inquest heard
Tragic Eleanor de Freitas, 23, said she was taking her own life, in part because she feared she would bring "shame" on her family if she lost the case.
Ms de Freitas, who had bipolar disorder, took her own life in April last year, days before she was due to stand trial for perverting the course of justice.
The "vivacious, straight-A student" left notes saying that she could not face giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London.
During an inquest into her death at West London Coroners Court, her family's barrister Leslie Thomas read out a suicide note from Miss de Freitas which referenced the pressure of the upcoming court case.
"If I were to lose the case I would bring great shame to my family.
"Everything is my fault what has happened. Many other events make me make this decision."
Miss de Freitas, who dropped out of Durham University after a breakdown, was a community patient with West London Mental Health Trust.
She claimed to have been raped in 2012 and in January 2013 made a complaint to police.
Officers investigated and her alleged attacker was arrested and questioned but the case was dropped a little over a month later.
The Director of Public Prosecutions said this was "due to evidence which contradicted the account Ms de Freitas gave to police".
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Ms de Freitas, from Fulham, London, took her own life three days before her trial was due to start.
In January, coroner Chinyere Inyama ruled the CPS was not an interested party and need not be at the inquest.
But today, Dr Thomas demanded a CPS representative be compelled to attend the hearing.
He said: "There is a causal connection between the investigation and the death.
"There are a numerous reasons why we say that the case may have been caused or contributed more than marginally to the tragic death.
"We know the prosecution had an impact on the deceased from her final letters.
"There is the proximity death date of April 4 to the trial due to start on the Monday."
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"Another report after her death from the trust said: 'The patient suffered a serious mental illness.
"'For several months she has been under increased psychological stress due to the charges of perverting the course of justice due to the court appearance three days after her death.'
"Given these factors there is sufficient evidence to show the investigation may have been the cause of death or linked to her death."
Ms de Freitas's father, David, told the hearing how his daughter had some support withdrawn in the months leading up to her death following the decision to prosecute her.
He said: "She had been receiving counselling for rape. But she was denied access to counselling from the moment she received summons (for perverting the course of justice).
"Her behaviour changed. In some instances it made her depressed. In other respects it made her bizarre."
He said his daughter began wearing a burka to court appearances through fear of publicity, and would sometimes only leave the house after dark.
The court heard instances of having a panic attack on the day she received a court summons, and later was found throwing packets of crisps in the aisles of the Co-op in the Strand in September 2013.
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Her father said: "Eleanor was a very good driver, she had driven that route many times.
"She must have gone through something very traumatic as to be as disoriented and do what she did."
Mr de Freitas also described how his daughter feared being sectioned again and would try to "mask" her feelings.
He said she had been abused mentally and physically during her previous stay in hospital.
Discussing her bipolar disorder, he said: "With bipolar you had lows, it was almost impossible to get her out of the house.
"But she could also be extremely disinhibited. She would spend money like there was no tomorrow and indulge herself."
Earlier, coroner Chinyere Inyama denied a request from de Freitas family solicitor Mr Thomas that the CPS attend the hearing over its obligations to Ms de Freitas under the Human Rights Act.
Mr Inyama cited a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions that the CPS was "correct" to pursue a criminal case against Ms de Freitas as reason for dismissing the request.
Mr Inyama will decide later today whether to adjourn the inquest so the CPS can be called as an interested party.