Fraud or In Need?

Would you ever contemplate stealing your child's identity? How about actually stealing it? Does this sound appalling to you?

Utilities companies are noticing an increase in just that. Parents are racking up thousands of dollars in unpaid bills. In their child's name.

Can you imagine being burdened with debt before you can read? Can you imagine being betrayed and used by your own parent?

Listening to the radio on the way home today, I heard that a CT woman was arrested for doing this. She opened an account for CT Illuminating under her four-year old child's name. That account now owes well over four thousand dollars.  She will be charged with fraud.

Let me just say that I think some kind of consequence should occur.  Fraud charges make sense to me since that is what she committed.  Now, when I heard this I had questions.  Why would this woman feel like she had no choice other than opening an account in her daughters name?  How did she rack up four thousand dollars in electric bills before CT Illuminating cut her off?

While it is important to enforce the law, it is equally important to understand why people break it.  Is there something that can be done to recent this in the future?  Something other than the threat of prison?