Gravelles finally in jail

According to one of the articles related to this case,

Both Gravelles maintained that they were at a loss as to how to handle the children's various behavioral issues, so they turned to Elaine Thompson, a therapist, for help and followed her direction to the letter.
The Gravelles told the court they made mistakes raising their children.
"It wasn't because we intended to anyone any harm," Sharen Gravelle said.
"I listened to the professionals. Loving my children was more important than being right," she said.
Thompson is scheduled for a pretrial next week and a jury trial next month. She is facing several charges of aiding and abetting child endangering and failing to report child abuse.  From:  'Caged kids' parents get sentenced to 2 years, Feb 16, 2007

I think this proves there's a very fine line between "right" v. "wrong", and discipline v. abuse, and I know from personal experience, there are lots of parents who would NEVER have done what this couple did.... just as there are lots who would have done far more and far worse.  The question is:  did these parents seek the sort of advice they wanted to hear, because it already followed their core-beliefs when it comes to child-discipline?  I ask because in another article related to this case, it states: 

[Prosecutor Russ Leffler] told jurors Tuesday that the case was about the beds, not the harsh discipline in the home. County officials removed the 11 special-needs children from the Gravelle home in September 2005 after they received a tip and found the brightly painted, chicken-wire-enclosed beds in which some of the children slept.

The couple said they built the enclosed beds to prevent the children from hurting themselves and others. The couple lost custody of the adopted children in March.
Two older children testified during the trial that the Gravelles hit them with a wooden paddle, hosed them with water outside in freezing temperatures and dunked the head of a girl with Down syndrome into a toilet. The jury found each of the Gravelles guilty on three charges — one a felony — related to that child.   [From:  Gravelles guilty of endangerment, abuse, Dec 23, 2006

While I do not agree with many "Attachment Therapies", I do know a therapist can suggest forms of discipline, or highly recommend certain treatments for certain behaviors, but ultimately, isn't it the parent's choice how children are treated and by whom, especially at home?  If a parent inflicts pain and punishment on his/her children, is the hired-help (paid therapist, chosen by the parents) really to blame?

Where does parental accountability and responsibility begin and where does it end in cases like these?