In a shocking revelation, Iceland’s Minister for Children, Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, has resigned following public scrutiny over her past relationship with a teenager more than three decades ago, raising questions about ethics and governance.
Iceland’s Children Minister Steps Down Amid Controversy Over Past Relationship
Iceland’s Children Minister Steps Down Amid Controversy Over Past Relationship
Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir resigns after disclosing her past relationship with a teenager and the birth of their child.
Iceland's Minister for Children, Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, has announced her resignation after an interview revealed she had a child with a teenager 30 years ago. The 58-year-old disclosed that her relationship with the individual, identified as 15 at the time, began when she was a 22-year-old counselor at a religious group, Trú og líf (Religion and Life). Thórsdóttir gave birth to the child when he was 16 years old and she was 23, describing her regret over the circumstances.
In a statement, Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir acknowledged the seriousness of the matter but declined to provide details, citing respect for Thórsdóttir's privacy. The news broke after Icelandic news agency RUV obtained the story, leading Thórsdóttir to face immediate questioning from the Prime Minister, where she ultimately chose to resign.
while the details of the relationship were not common knowledge, Thórsdóttir went public to explain her actions, saying, “A lot of things change in that time and I would definitely have handled these issues differently today.” Reports indicate that despite the passage of time, the revelations surrounding the relationship have raised significant concerns about ethics within governmental offices.
The age of consent in Iceland is 15, but the law prohibits sexual interactions with individuals under 18 if the adult is in a coaching, teaching, or mentorship position. Thórsdóttir indicated that the father, Eirík Ásmundsson, was involved during the child's early life, yet their relationship became strained with the emergence of her current husband.
Despite her resignation from her ministerial role, she has stated her intention to remain active in parliament, even as discussions about the implications of her past continue to unfold.
