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Back Cut to the Bone Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Cut to the Bone
  3. About the Author
  4. Also by Roz Watkins
  5. Note to Readers
  6. Dedication
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. Extract
  67. Prologue
  68. Chapter 1
  69. Author’s note
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the Publisher

‘It’s mainly gang-related crime, and I won’t be getting involved with that now, will I?’

‘Nothing would surprise me.’

‘You do know in El Salvador a teenage girl was sentenced to thirty years in prison after she had a stillborn baby?’

‘I’ve read about a few cases.’

‘She was still at school. She’d been raped. Hadn’t realised she was pregnant and gave birth in a toilet. The baby died and the court ruled that failing to seek ante-natal care amounted to murder. Thirty years in prison.’

I put my mug down with a thud. ‘I looked into it. It makes me want to rip people’s throats out.’

‘She’s not the only one. Another woman was given a thirty-year sentence after she had a late miscarriage, because they claimed she’d induced it. Honestly, Meg, the poor woman wanted that baby. All her relatives testified that she was devastated to lose it. How do they think you induce a miscarriage anyway? If only it were that easy. Now she’s locked up for the rest of her life. You can’t even have an abortion if you’re raped, or if your life’s at risk or if the baby’s going to die anyway. Even if a child is raped. Can you imagine? A right-wing Catholic group are trying to take the sentences up to fifty years.’

‘I suppose when you only rape choir boys you don’t have to worry about pregnancy.’

Mum shook her head and tutted, but she couldn’t argue with the sentiment.

‘I get it, Mum,’ I said. ‘I understand you wanting to help.’

‘It will be only this once on the actual abortion ship. We’re getting set up with drones that can deliver pills. It’ll be easier for the women. I want to do it, Meg. It’s got to be better than just getting furious and feeling helpless, surely?’

‘I wish I could go with you.’

‘You do good things here.’

‘Not everyone thinks so at the moment, but yes. I’m proud of you, Mum. As far as I’m concerned, you should go for it.’

‘Thank you. I have the time now. And I’m good at dealing with bureaucracy and legal matters.’

‘And if all else fails, you know how to kill people.’

‘Not funny, Meg. What I was going to say was that, thanks to your gran, I have a bit of money.’

I smiled. ‘Gran would be proud of you too. I know she would.’

I had to support her. How could I not? But all the same I was worried about her going to El Salvador. I’d already lost Gran. I wasn’t sure I’d cope if anything happened to Mum.

‘I’ll be careful,’ she said. ‘The teams of women know what they’re doing out there. But what’s the point of life if you can’t do what you believe in?’

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