Mistakes were made" is a classic passive voice confession. President Ronald Reagan famously said "mistakes were made" by his administration during the Iran Contra scandal. But some people said he wasn't directly taking the blame. This is why some writers choose to use the passive voice. It can sidestep the question of who did something.

Based on this passage, a writer may use the passive voice to

A
give the reader all known information about a criminal and his or her crimes.

B
clarify the person who was responsible for a crime.

C
describe a crime without blaming anyone for committing it.

D
take responsibility for committing a crime.