The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 6: Mens Rea
Page 12: Accident

So what ARE these different mental states? What are we looking for when we decide one person deserves more punishment than another?

Jack and Jill

Remember Jack and Jill?

Jack killed his daughter by ACCIDENT.

Maybe it was a little odd to feed her artichoke, but nobody could have imagined that it would kill her.

Of all these child killers, Jack is the LEAST culpable—not deserving ANY punishment.