Reliving impact of sexual perversion

Edmore Zvinonzwa

A Tigress in the Chapel; By Jimmy Chisafara; Authorhouse, 2023.

ISBN: 979-8-8230-8112-2-51674

A lot has been reached about child sexual abuse. Quite a lot over the years. However, none as succinct and graphic as well as poignant as the story of A Tigress in the Chapel.

The story, set in a Christian boarding school, which instead of inculcating a loathing for the negative, seems to be a place where different sexual perverts thrive.

The leadership at St Gabriel’s Secondary School, who include the Chaplain, the Matron, a Mr Thames and the several benefactors of the institution are all sexual perverts. The Matron is a unique as she abuses fellow females and takes pride in conquering her targeted prey before handing the trophy to her male companions.

“She loves breaking their innocence and resistance and enjoys baptising them into her perverted fantasy world first before handing them over to her men. She’ll never let anyone touch any nymph she had targeted before she does.” (p78)

Affectionately referred to as the Mat, she is no less an admirer of female beauty than her male colleagues in the school, who include the donors and other wealthy individuals who keep the school oiled, financially.

The story is told through the eyes of two female victims, Gigi and Zara who the perverts take turns to abuse, together with other girls in the institution.

As the book is about the power of speaking out in exposing those individuals in positions of power and authority who sadly sexually abuse children.

The authorities in the school not only rape the learners but also allow donors to the school to also take part in these sinful orgies, performed against innocent children, all in the name of opportunities in life that they claim to be availing the learners.

When Gigi first encounters Mr Thames sexually abusing Zara, she was shocked but that was to be the beginning of her initiation into the same world as she eventually befriends Zara out of the necessity of their common circumstances.   

Zara remarks: “All those girls in there – they don’t like it. One or two, perhaps, or a few, might be enjoying it. But not everyone does. They just have to do it against their will because it is part and parcel of being here. We’re all in this because of our unfortunate circumstances, our parents’ poverty.” (36)

The innocent learners are ravished by the paedophiles lurking in godly cloaks and garments in the school, disguised as administrators.

“It’s either you are with them or you’re against them, these people running this school and those funding it, which includes the who’s who of good society, all hiding behind a religious façade, yet they’re mortal evil personified.”

The brevity with which Zara and Gigi endure the abuse until they act to expose the perverts. When they eventually break away from St Gabriel’s by escaping from the school, it becomes an act that is symbolic of ending the abuse of other learners in this institution and beyond where such practices were also rife.

Even when the abuse was still going on, Zara has some words for Gigi, which clearly show they are not willing collaborators of the abuse.

“If one can live to tell their story, then all you have to do is to find your own voice to narrate the story of your personal pain. The choice is yours, but it’s out of your power to say no once you’re here and someone wants you.” (p37)

The author chooses his characters very carefully. Zara and Gigi are only representative of a larger group of victims. The major abusers are called by their real names but rather titles, the Mat and the Chap for the matron and the Chaplain. These also become characters representative of a group of powerful abusers in society who take advantage of powerless but innocent victims.

“The people at this place have a pervasive and unquenchable thirst for cruelty.” (p38)

“Now seemingly caught up in the same complex web of organized crime conveniently disguised as philanthropy that has been her father’s undoing.

When the Chap describes his office as “an unusual room, Gigi – I mean office. It was originally designed as a sanctuary for abused women. I heard that some teachers here used teachers here used to beat their wives to a pulp before I took over this school.” (p62-3) The irony is that this very office is being used by the Chap as a love nest where he meets up with and abuses young girls at St Gabriel’s Secondary School.

Jimmy Chasafara was born in Harare and has lived in Chitungwiza, Tsholotsho and Bulawayo.

He attended Zengeza 1 High School before training as a teacher at Seke Teachers’ College. He taught in more than five provinces in Zimbabwe before relocating to the United Kingdom where he has lived for over 20 years now, working with homelessness, victims support and as a qualified mental health nurse.

Jimmy has degrees in Criminology, Youth Justice, Social Policy and Nursing. In his interactions, he has encountered the abused girl child and admired how some fought back. This has become the central point of his plot in A Tigress in the Chapel, his first novel.

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