CriminalJustice:MensRea

DeShaylaTran
ProfessorRenckert
MW4:00pm5:20pm
11/22/15

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

CriminalJustice:MensRea
"Theactisnotculpableunlessthemindisguilty."
Mensreaiscommonlydefinedasthementalstate,orintent,necessaryasanunjustified
actinestablishingguilt.Thisbasicallymeansthatmensreaistheknowledgeofthewrongdoing,
asopposedtothephysicalactionorconductoftheaccused.Foracrimetobeintheapplicable
statuteorlaw,theawarenessthatexertionwasnefariousmustbepresent.Fourelementsthata
guiltymentalstatemustbecomprisedofis:purpose,knowledge,negligence,andrecklessness.
Thedefendantmusthavepurposelycommittedthecrimewiththeaspirationofcreatinga
specificillicitresult.Thedefendantmustalsocomprehendtheillegalityexistswithintheir
decisionoftheirbehavior,meaningthattheyareawareoftheirconsequencesthatfollowwhen
penalized.Criminalnegligenceiselucidatedasfailuretoutilizethestandardofcarethata
reasonablepersonwouldexerciseinasimilarcircumstance.Incorrespondencetonegligence,the
levelofriskforrecklessnessisloftyhowever,contrastingfromnegligence,recklessnessiswhen
theindividualisawarethattheriskexist,yetconsciouslydisregardsthatitsubsideswithinthe
situation.Inthecaseof
The

ParisCannibal,
IsseiSagawaacquiredalloftheaspectsthatwould
classifyhimasacriminalwithintheboundsofmensrea.AlthoughSagawawasnotpunishedfor
hisoffense,hisintentwouldjustifythathisactionswaspertinenttomensrea.
IsseiSagawawasbornonApril26,1949,in
Kobe
,
HygoPrefecture
,
Japan
intoa
wealthyhousehold.Beingaprematurebaby,Sagawahadbesettedenteritis,inflammationofthe
smallintestine,andhadalwaysbeenfrailaswellasdelicate.Hehadalsobeendiagnosedwith
anoxia,aconditioncausedbyseverelackofoxygentothebrain,resultingtobraindamage.
Havingayoungerbrotherneartohisage,theyhadbeenraisedupastwins.AgameSagawaand

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

hisbrotherusuallyplayedwiththeirfather,alongwiththeiruncle,was
ManEatingMonster.
Thisconsistedofhisfatherandunclechasinghimandhisbrotheraround,attemptingtoeat
them.Onaccountofthisgame,Sawagabegantohavedreamsaswellasfantasiesofeating
people.Hewasintriguedbyamaleclassmatesthighinfirstgradeandbegantostartbeastiality
withhisdogtosatisfyhisneeds.
WhenSagawareachedhisadolescence,hepursuedhisknowledgeforliteratureatWako
UniversityinTokyo.HebegantostudyEnglishLiterature,forhisdegree,whichresultedtothe
commencementofhisobsessionoftall,Nomadicwhitewomen.Hebeganhavingfantasiesof
consumingtheirbodiesandwhenaGermanwomanmovedintohisneighborhood,heperceived
itasasignthatheshouldactonhisfixation.Heplannedtosneakintoherhouse,knockherout
withanumbrella,andbiteofftherightofherbuttcheekhowever,asheapproachedherbedand
crawledontopofher,sheawoke.Beingsmall,Sagawawasunabletoattackher,leadingtohis
downfall.Hewascapturedandchargedforattemptedrapenonetheless,hisfatherprotectedhim
andpaidforbail.
Thefollowingsummer,SagawawentabroadtoParisinordertoobtainhisPhDin
literature.Beingveryshy,hehadbeenostracizedbyhisclassmateshenceforth,hewouldreverie
circumstancesinwhichhewouldkillanddevourthousandsofwomenattheFrenchcapital.His
thoughtssoonascendedhimtobearprostitutestohishomeinordertoeatthemyet,hecouldnot
bringhimselftoproceedwithhisimpulse.

Onedayatschool,heencounteredthecompanyof
ReneeHartevelt,abeautifultwentyfiveyearoldDutchwoman,whohadalsobeenafellow
exchangedstudent.ShewasoneofthefewstudentswhomadeanefforttotalktoSagawaand
eveninvitedhimtoaclassouting.Itwasthenthatheknewshewastheone.OnJune11,1981,

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

SagawahadarrangedforHartevelttocomeovertohisapartment.Hehadaskedherifshewould
bewillingtorecitesomepoetryforhiminGermantoberecordedforoneofhisclassesandeven
offeredtopayhergenerously.Whenshearrived,theyhadsharedpleasantriesandherbaltea.
Sagawalaterconfessedhisloveforherbutsherejected,havingonlyplatonicfeelingstowards
him.Tobreaktheawkwardsilence,Sagawasuggestedshestartedreading.Thedeskwhereshe
wasseatedwaspurposelyplacedfacingtowardsthewallsothatherbackwastowardshim.This
madeitsothathewasabletoshootherintheheadwitha22calibrerifleasheplanned.
AfterfaintingandtheexpirationofHartevelt,Sagawastrippedherfromherclothingto
performintercorse.Unabletotearintoherbuttocks,hewentouttobybutcherknivesandfortwo
days,hesampledherpartsofherbodywithsaltandmustard.Storinghisfavoriteportionsofher
bodyinhisfridge,herealizedthathecouldntkeepherbodyforeverduetothestench.To
resolvehispredicament,hepurchasedtwobriefcasestoconveytherestofherbodyoutofhis
apartment.SagawadecidedtodisregardherbodynearthelakeinBoisdeBoulogneyet,
subsequently,herbodywasuncoveredhourslater.
PolicetracedtheDNAbacktoSagawasapartmentanddiscoveredtheremainsof
Harteveltsbodyintherefrigerator.Sagawadisposedtoadmittingtothemurderanddidnot
resistarrest.Hisfatherthenprovidedalawyerforhisdefenceandaftertwoyears,theFrench
court,onadvicefromthreeseparatepsychiatrist,declaredhimlegallyinsaneandunfittostand
trial.Sagawawasorderedtobeheldinamentalinstitutionnonetheless,hisfatherpaidforhim
tobesenthometoJapan.Japaneseauthoritieshadnolegalrighttoholdhim,basedonthefact
thattheFrenchcourtdocumentswerenotopentothem.Unfortunately,Sagawawalksthestreet
ofJapanasafreeman.

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

ReturningtoJapanwasdifficult.Hismothercommittedsuicide,hisfatherpassedfroma
chronicillness,andhisyoungerbrothersufferedseveredepression.Toprovideforhimself,
Sagawabegangoingontalkshows.Hewrotebooksaswellasstarredinpornofilmsabout
cannibalismandhisdispicablecrime.Oneofhisbooks,
IntheFog,
soldover200,000copiesand
helaterbegansellingpaintingsofbutts.Hisobsessionofwhitewomenhadmovedtoyoung,
vibrantJapanesewomenandtocalmhisobessionhematsterbates.IsseiSagawaisaderanged
manwhohasnoremorsenorempathyforothers.
The
ParisCannibal
isacasethatcorrelateswithmensreaduetothefactthatIssei
Sagawahadthemindsetofeatinganotherhumanbeingsincehewasaboutsixyearsold.
Sagawas
purpose
wastodevouranotherhumantosatisfyhisdesirethinkingthathecouldonly
trulyloveanotherindividualiftheywereinsideofhim.Sagawaisalsoaveryintelligentman.
Hewas
knowledgeable
ofhisdesirebeing,notonlyagainstthelaw,butfurthermore,against
humanity.Hebelievedthathewasfromaworldthatexistedfarfromouruniverse.When
displayingcriminal
negligence
,Sagawadiscardedthefactthathisactionswouldharmtheperson
heate,theirfamily,andfriendsinadditiontohisown.Ashecommittedhisoffence,hewas
reckless
inthewaythathedisregardedtherisksthathewouldhavebeensentencedtojailforlife
and,moreover,deathrow.AlthoughSagawagotawaywithhiscrime,hewasnotawarethathis
fatherwouldassisthimafterismurder.Insum,withoutmensrea,thefelonywouldnotbe
committedhenceforth,itwouldnotbeanactualcrimewithouttheintent.
Mensreaisessentialduetothefactthatitallowsthecriminaljusticesystemto
discriminatebetweenindividualswhointentionallycommittedthecrimeandthosewho
carelesslycommittedthecrime.Anexamplewouldbeifapedestrianwascrossingthestreetand

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

thedriverkilledhim,inadvertently,thedriverwouldonlybechargedwithmonetarydamages,as
opposedtomurder.Despitethefactthatavarietyofpeoplefocusonactusreasmorethanmens
rea,wemustallcometorealizethatitallbeginswiththemind.
ThereasonIchosethetopicmensreaisbecauseIaminterestedinthefieldof
psychology.Thehumanbrainisthemostsignificantaswellasextraordinaryorganthebody
acquiresanditisthemostcomplex.AsIencounteredthecaseof
TheParisCannibal
,ithad
appealedtomeasuniquebecause,althoughIsseiSagawaactedonhisintent,hewasnot
punishedforhiswrongdoing.Ipersonallyperceivethiscasetobeunjustyet,lawful.WhatIam
shockedaboutishowotherswereentertainedbyhisactionsandmadehimfamous.Women
beganusinghimformoney,withtheknowledgethathekilledHarteveltanddevouredher.The
mindisapowerfulthingandifonehasthemotivationtomaketheirfantasiesintoareality,there
isnostoppingthem.

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

CitedSources
Alchin,L.(2015,March1).Mensrea.RetrievedNovember28,2015,from
http://www.findameaning.info/latinlegalterms/mensrea.htm
Gaines,L.,&Miller,R.(2014).Chapter3:InsideCriminalLaw.InCriminaljusticeinaction:
Thecore(7thed.,pp.7576).Belmont,CA,California:Wadsworth.
TheCannibalThatWalkedFree(2007).(2012,November4).RetrievedNovember28,2015,
from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdXPJWODzjo
InterviewwithaCannibal.(2012,January29).RetrievedNovember28,2015,from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BosZxa1bYcE
Japan'sMostFamousCannibalTofugu.(2012,August17).RetrievedNovember28,2015,
from
http://www.tofugu.com/2012/08/17/japansmostfamouscannibal/
ModelPenalCodesMensRea.(2013).RetrievedNovember30,2015,from
http://nationalparalegal.edu/public_documents/courseware_asp_files/criminalLaw/basicElements
/ModelPenalCodeMensRea.asp

CRIMINALJUSTICE:MENSREA

Clarke,P.(n.d.).ExtremeEvil.RetrievedDecember2,2015,from
https://books.google.com/books?id=WFNaD9ArVqwC&pg=PT38&lpg=PT38&dq=
IsseiSagawa.(n.d.).RetrievedDecember2,2015,from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issei_Sagawa