Abstract: An apparatus (1) for cutting up the belly of a slaughtered animal has a cutter for performing a cutting function in a cutting direction (SR), and a displacement element (5) which applies a forces on a predetermined area of the outer surface of the belly of the animal and at a distance from the cutter. The apparatus (1) further has a suspension element (40) to which the displacement element (5) is pivotally attached around an axis of rotation (28). The axis of rotation (28) forms an obtuse or an acute angle with the cutting direction (SR), so that rotation of the displacement member, oriented by the inclined axis of rotation, displaces the animal skin laterally away from the cutter.