I HAD TO CLEAR MY NAME

SHE’D always dreamt of becoming a teacher, like her mother and grandmother before her.

She wanted to stand in front of a class, help children discover their talent and instil a love of languages in young minds.

But after 20 years as a teacher, Carin Pinkham’s dream turned into a nightmare when she was accused of assaulting five Grade 4 boys at Kommando Primary School in Brakpan on Gauteng’s East Rand. She was told to leave the premises and was later dismissed.

For the next two years Carin tried to prove her innocence – and she recently succeeded.

“My name was dragged through the