what is mens rea

Mens rea is a legal concept that refers to the mental state of a defendant who is accused of committing a crime. It is the mental state or criminal intent of the individual at the time of the offense. In common law jurisdictions, most crimes require proof of both mens rea and actus reus before the defendant can be found guilty. Mens rea is the state of mind statutorily required to convict a particular defendant of a particular crime, and it is usually necessary to prove guilt in a criminal trial. There are different levels of mens rea, including intent, knowledge, recklessness, and negligence, each reflecting a different level of responsibility for a crime