Iceland’s Minister for Children resigns over controversial past relationship with a teenager

celand’s Minister for Children, Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, has abruptly resigned after admitting that she had a child with a 16-year-old boy more than 30 years ago. The revelation came after Icelandic news outlet RUV reported on the affair, prompting the minister to come clean about her past.

Secret relationship revealed

Thórsdóttir, now 58 and a member of the center-left People’s Party, disclosed that the relationship began when she was a 22-year-old counselor at the church group the teenager attended. She gave birth to their child when she was 23, and the teenager, identified as Eirík Ásmundsson, was present during the birth.

Teen father paid child support

According to the report, Ásmundsson paid child support for 18 years, despite Thórsdóttir allegedly limiting his access to the child after she married her husband. The situation has raised legal and ethical concerns regarding the nature of their past relationship.

Thórsdóttir defends herself

“I understand… what it looks like,” Thórsdóttir stated after admitting to the decades-old affair. “It’s very difficult to get the right story across in the news today.” She acknowledged that she would have handled things differently, saying, “It’s been 36 years, a lot of things change in that time and I would definitely have dealt with these issues differently today.”

Legal questions raised

Although the age of consent in Iceland is 15, Icelandic law prohibits sexual relationships between an adult and a minor if the adult is in a position of authority, such as a teacher or mentor.

Prime Minister responds

Following the revelation, Thórsdóttir was summoned by Iceland’s Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, and subsequently resigned from her ministerial post. The prime minister refrained from discussing the specifics, stating, “This is a very personal matter [and] out of respect for the person concerned, I will not comment on the substance.”

Thórsdóttir remains in Parliament

Despite stepping down from her ministerial position, Thórsdóttir has indicated that she does not intend to resign from parliament.