Asthildur Loa Thorsdottir, Iceland’s minister for children, resigns after admitting to past relationship
Iceland’s minister for children, Asthildur Loa Thorsdottir, abruptly resigned after revealing that she had a child with a teenage boy more than three decades ago. Ms. Thorsdottir, now 58, admitted that the relationship began when she was 22 and working as a counselor at a religious group the boy attended. He was 15 at the time, the BBC reported.
While stepping down from her ministerial role, Ms. Thorsdottir, a member of the center-left People’s Party, has no plans to leave Parliament.
The relationship started when she was a counselor at a religious group
The two met when Ms. Thorsdottir worked at Tru og lif (Religion and Life), where Eirik Asmundsson sought refuge due to personal difficulties at home, Icelandic news agency RUV reported.
She gave birth to their child at 23, while Mr. Asmundsson had just turned 16.
In Iceland, the age of consent is 15. However, it is illegal for an adult in a position of authority—such as a mentor or teacher—to engage in a physical relationship with someone under 18 if they are financially dependent on them or work for them. Those found guilty can face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
“A lot of things have changed,” says Thorsdottir
Reflecting on the past, Ms. Thorsdottir acknowledged that she would “definitely have dealt with these issues differently” today.
Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir called the revelation a “serious matter,” but said she knew little more than the general public.
Ms. Frostadottir was informed of the story on Thursday night and immediately summoned Ms. Thorsdottir to her office. The minister resigned following the meeting, according to the Visir newspaper.
Mr. Asmundsson was present at the birth but later denied access to his son
Although their relationship was initially kept secret, Mr. Asmundsson was present when the child was born and spent the first year with them. However, things changed when Ms. Thorsdottir met her husband.
Years later, Mr. Asmundsson submitted documents to Iceland’s Justice Ministry seeking access to his son. However, Ms. Thorsdottir denied him access, despite receiving child support payments from him for 18 years, local news agencies reported.
Last week, a female relative of Mr. Asmundsson attempted to contact the Prime Minister twice to discuss the matter. This reportedly upset Ms. Thorsdottir, who expressed concerns about the challenges of “getting the right story across in the news today.”