Mistakes versus choices

Do you think using the phrase, "everyone makes mistakes," is a way to minimize and/or justify terrible choices? To me, a mistake would be unintentionally misfiling something at work or pushing send on a text accidentally before it was ready to go.

A mistake is not a deliberate choice, so if someone does something truly heinous, is it fair to say that they made a mistake, or a series of mistakes leading up to the event?

At what point do things cease to be mistakes and become choices? Following on that, at what point does personal responsibility kick in? How long can a person get away with the, "it was a mistake," excuse for their bad behaviour? When actions are deliberate, then how can they be a mistake?