I agree with you. It has been reported that the couple don't have any mental illness, which I doubt. Normal parent's do not lock up their children and chain them to a bed, AND deprive them of food and water.
This could also be a way of trying to make home schooling a thing of the past, because a lot of attention is drawn to the fact that the department of education didn't know about their existence.
RE: Perris Child Torture Case Used to Attack Homeschooling