A 45-year-old polygamist was sentenced Wednesday by a court in southwestern France to 30 years in prison with a two-thirds minimum security period for raping his partners and aggravated violence against 28 of his 29 alleged children, his lawyer said.

Described as a "guru" and a "narcissistic pervert", the accused remained silent throughout his trial before the Auch judicial court and forbade his court-appointed lawyer from defending him, the latter, Jean-François Renaudie, told AFP.

The accused faced 21 charges including spousal rape, violence against a minor and torture or acts of barbarity against a minor, with the aggravating circumstances that these acts of violence may have been committed in some cases against minors under 15 years of age or in the presence of another child.

He was accused of having created a climate of "widespread violence", psychological and physical, against his partners and most of his offspring.

The alleged acts of torture and barbarity affected two of the youngest children, between their birth and 20 months: according to consistent testimonies from his family, he allegedly lifted them by the ears until they bled and violently immersed them in water to stop their crying.

Three of his four partners, who were also accused of violence against children, were acquitted, said lawyer Renaudie.

Born in Ivory Coast, the accused, who arrived in France at the age of 16, observed a "particularly demanding and rigorous practice of Islam," according to investigators. He had stripped the home of most of its furniture and sealed the windows in order "to prevent the devil from entering."

He categorically denied all the charges against him, including having had partners in three of the four women, as well as being the father of a majority of these 29 children.

Although the parentage link has not been formally established, as "no DNA test" has been carried out due to his refusal and the absence of a request for such a test from the civil parties, investigators emphasize that "all the children recognize him as their father or at least as a father figure".

The justice system became aware of the situation when one of his partners fled in early 2022. The accused was placed in detention in April of the same year and his 27 minor children were placed in care.