Renunciation defense requires which condition?

• A. The offense was already completed
• B. The defendant withdrew from participation prior to the offense and made a substantial effort to prevent its commission
• C. The defendant confessed to the crime
• D. The defendant fled the scene and hid

Answer: (B)

Renunciation defense hinges on voluntary abandonment of the criminal plan before the crime occurs, plus a substantial effort to prevent its commission. The defendant must actively withdraw from participation prior to the offense and take concrete steps to stop it—for example, warning authorities or otherwise thwarting the plan. This isn’t satisfied by merely ceasing involvement after the plan is formed or by fleeing; there must be a genuine, voluntary withdrawal with preventive action.

The described option matches this precisely: withdrawal before the offense and a substantial effort to prevent its commission. The other situations don’t fit—if the offense is already completed, renunciation isn’t applicable; a confession or fleeing/hiding doesn’t demonstrate the required voluntary abandonment and preventive steps.