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

Iceland's Minister for Children, Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, has resigned after revealing she had a child with a teenager over 30 years ago.

Thórsdóttir, 58, shared details of her past with RUV, Iceland's national news agency, admitting to starting a relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was 22 and working as a counsellor at a religious group he attended, per Caliber.Az.

She gave birth to their child when the boy was 16, and she was 23.

Reflecting on the past, Thórsdóttir acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying, "It's been 36 years, a lot of things have changed in that time, and I would definitely have dealt with these issues differently today."

Iceland’s Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, called the matter "serious" but emphasized she knew little beyond what the general public knew. She stated, "This is a very personal matter, and out of respect for the person concerned, I will not comment on the substance," although she confirmed learning about the issue the previous evening. Upon receiving the information, Frostadóttir summoned Thórsdóttir, who subsequently resigned.

Thórsdóttir revealed she met the father of her child, identified as Eirík Ásmundsson, when he was 15 and attending the religious group Trú og líf. The relationship remained secret, although Ásmundsson was present at the birth of their son and spent the first year of his life with him. However, their relationship changed when Thórsdóttir later met her current husband.

RUV reported that Ásmundsson had sought legal access to his son but was denied by Thórsdóttir, who also requested and received child support payments from him for 18 years. The story was further complicated when a relative of Ásmundsson attempted to contact the prime minister twice last week, revealing the involvement of a government minister. Frostadóttir then sought more details, which ultimately led to Thórsdóttir's resignation.

In her TV interview, Thórsdóttir expressed frustration over the revelations, saying she was upset that a private matter had been made public. "I understand... what it looks like," she said, acknowledging the difficulty of communicating the full context in today's media environment.

While the legal age of consent in Iceland is 15, it is prohibited for a teacher, mentor, or employer to engage in sexual relations with someone under 18 if they are financially dependent or work for them. Violating this law can result in up to three years in prison.

Despite resigning from her ministerial role, Thórsdóttir confirmed that she has no intention of leaving parliament.

By Tamilla Hasanova