Which Latin term means 'body of the crime'?

• A. Mens rea
• B. Actus reus
• C. Corpus delicti
• D. Innocentia

Answer: (C)

Corpus delicti means “body of the crime”—the facts that prove a crime actually occurred. It focuses on the concrete result and the essential elements that make up the offense, such as a dead body in a murder case or stolen property in theft. Proving corpus delicti requires evidence of the crime itself beyond a defendant’s confession, ensuring that a crime happened before any blame is assigned. This is different from mens rea, the mental state or intent, and actus reus, the actual prohibited act. The term for innocence isn’t used to describe the body of the crime.