The Iceland Minister of Children and Education, Ásthildur Lóa Þórisdóttir, has resigned after admitting to past allegations of engaging in a relationship with a minor and having a child. According to Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV and other sources, Minister Þórisdóttir, who is now 58, acknowledged having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was 22, after meeting him through a religious organization. She stated her intention to resign from her ministerial position but will retain her role as a parliament member. Þórisdóttir described it as a mistake of her youth, noting that 36 years had passed, and she would handle the issue differently today.
During her time with the religious organization, Þórisdóttir was responsible for guiding youth, and she developed a close relationship with a boy who sought support to overcome a difficult family situation, eventually leading to a romantic relationship. The two had a child the following year, when Þórisdóttir was 23 and the boy was 16, and reportedly continued seeing each other secretly for another year.
The circumstances changed when Þórisdóttir met her now-husband, leading to a breakup with the boy, who has never met his son even as an adult. The child’s father had requested meetings with his son, which Þórisdóttir refused, while also reportedly demanding child support for 18 years.
These revelations came to light after a relative of the child’s father contacted Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir directly, exposing Þórisdóttir’s past. In response, PM Jakobsdóttir summoned Þórisdóttir to discuss the facts, during which Þórisdóttir expressed her decision to resign.
In Iceland, individuals under 18 are considered legal children. Consensual sexual relations are permitted at 15 but are illegal if the relationship involves authority, economic dependency, employment, or trust with a minor under 18, carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison.