Step-by-step explanation:
1. Criminal act: It occurs when any unlawful act or unlawful omission of an act, as required by legal statute, takes place. Words can also be considered acts in criminal law: purgery, verbal threats, conspiracy or solicitation. Thoughts on the other hand are not considered criminal.
2. Criminal Intent: In order for a criminal act to qualify as a crime, the mental state of the perpetrator must be taken into consideration. The theory of men's rea holds that a defendant can only be held culpable when there is a criminal Intent.
3. Concurrence: This element of a crime refers to the coexistence of criminal Intent and a criminal act. Without evidence that the men's rea preceded or occurred at the same time as the actus reus, the burden of proof falls short.
4. Causation: Causation refers to the relationship between the defendant conduct and the end result. The prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant's actions were what led to the resulting crime in question, which is typically harm or injury.