Cops have arrested a Romanian mayor for repeatedly gang-raping a 12-year-old schoolgirl with three other men and making her pregnant.

The suspect has been named as Stefan Ionel Robert, who is mayor of the commune of Stefanestii de Jos in Romania’s Ilfov County, which surrounds the capital, Bucharest.

Four men, including Robert, allegedly abused the schoolgirl the first time when she was aged just 12 at a party in 2017.

Robert had been elected mayor of Stefanestii de Jos by a landslide the previous year, after the previous mayor was investigated for corruption.

Investigators believe the rapes by the four continued for two years after the party and that the girl became pregnant as a result, later giving birth to a child.

The police also detained the other three men as part of the investigation.

The alleged abuse took place as the mayor was separating from his wife. He and his relatives have denied the allegation, claiming the charge is motivated by a feud.

The mayor’s mother told reporters that the incident was a set-up by a man whose wife, who worked as a maid, was sacked by Robert, who is now in his second term.

Cops also arrested an unnamed woman for blackmail after she allegedly pressured the girl to remove the mayor as a suspect.

Investigators will now ascertain which of the four suspects is the baby’s father.

As part of the investigation, the police searched a number of properties, including Robert’s house and the town hall, on 10th June.

They seized several electronic devices and documents, which they will analyse as part of the investigation.

Robert had previously been accused of assault after he struck a man in a polling station. He was not subsequently charged.