Iceland’s Minister for Children and Education Resigns After Admitting She had a Child with a Teenager 30 Years Ago

Iceland’s minister for children, Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, abruptly resigned Thursday after admitting she had a baby with a 16-year-old boy more than 30 years ago.

Iceland’s Minister for Children and Education, Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, has stepped down from her position after revealing that she had a child with a teenager more than three and a half decades ago. Thórsdóttir admitted that she began a relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was 22, later giving birth to his child when she was 23 and he was 16.

The relationship began while Thórsdóttir was working as a counselor for a religious group. Under Icelandic law, the age of consent is 15. However, legal provisions prohibit adults from engaging in sexual relations with minors under 18 if they are in a position of authority over them, with potential penalties of up to 12 years in prison.

She came clean about the relationship, which started she was a 22-year-old counselor at the church group the teen attended, after Icelandic news outlet RUV was tipped off about the saga.

The father of the child stated that he had never perceived himself as a victim but acknowledged that he was in a vulnerable situation at the time. Seeking solace within the religious group, he initially maintained contact with the child but was largely cut off before the child’s first birthday. Despite this, he was required to pay child support for 18 years. His efforts to gain visitation rights through the Ministry of Justice and the church’s family service were reportedly denied by Thórsdóttir.

Asthildur Loa Thorsdottir stepped down as the minister for children, has no plans to leave the Parliament

Following the emergence of this information, Thórsdóttir met with Iceland’s three party leaders to discuss the situation. The decision to resign was ultimately hers, according to Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir. Speaking at a press conference, the prime minister stated that the meeting provided an opportunity to hear Thórsdóttir’s account in detail for the first time. Frostadóttir emphasized that Thórsdóttir acted swiftly by resigning, acknowledging the gravity of the matter while affirming that it did not pertain to the government’s ongoing work.

The prime minister’s office has yet to conclude its investigation into the situation, which came to their attention a week prior. Despite stepping down from her ministerial role, Thórsdóttir will continue to serve as a member of parliament, representing the People’s Party.