A Greenwich university student who spent two years on bail before the rape case against him collapsed has described his ordeal as "a terrible form of limbo."
Liam Allan now says he wants to use the experience as a force for good.
The case against the 22-year-old was kicked out at Croydon Crown Court on December 14 after evidence previously undisclosed by the prosecution cast serious doubt over its credibility.
The Metropolitan Police said it was carrying out an "urgent assessment" over the way it was handled.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mr Allan said he had not "slept properly" for two years since he was arrested.
"The support from friends was fantastic, no one believed for one minute that I was guilty," he said.
"No one treated me differently, no one gave me funny looks at university. I just had to carry on."
Mr Allan said he believed the case started when the complainant - who cannot be named for legal reasons - began telling "a little white lie."
"It completely spiralled out of control and it became a story she had to stick to," Mr Allan said.
"She completely lost control of what happened.
"I am hoping to use my experience to help change system failures for the benefit of both victims and falsely accused people together."
Police are understood to have looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence but it was not until the prosecution was close to trial that Met officers disclosed communications between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the case against Mr Allan.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said they offered no evidence in the case on Thursday, as it was decided "there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction."
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