Iceland education and children's affairs minister resigns as relationship with teenager over 30 years ago came to light
Iceland's minister of education and children's affairs stepped down from her post after her relationship with a teenager over 30 years ago came to light.
The Washington Post reported that Iceland's President Halla Tómasdóttir accepted Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir's resignation on Sunday, March 23, during a meeting of the State Council.
Thórsdóttir stepped down after local broadcaster RUV reported the previous week that she had a child 35 years ago when she was 23 and the baby's father was 16.
Their relationship reportedly began after they met at a church youth group when he was 15.
According to the media outlet, though Iceland's age of sexual consent is 15, it's illegal for an adult to have sex with a teenager they teach, employ, or mentor.
Thórsdóttir confirmed the relationship in a statement, but clarified that she was a member of the church group and not a leader.
She noted that “relationships between people of that age were not at all uncommon, even if they were not desirable.”
She said the relationship lasted only a few weeks, and that the father was present at the child’s birth.
According to RUV, the father sought access to their baby with the assistance of the government and the church, but was granted only occasional visits.
He still had to pay child support for 18 years based on local laws.
Thórsdóttir, meanwhile, said the father made little attempt to establish a relationship with the child.
Thórsdóttir, through the People's Party head of communications, also told CNN that she "categorically denies claims she hindered the father from having contact or relationship with his son."
“The two had gotten to know each other in a Christian Open House for young people," the statement said. "The Minister also denies claims that she was in any way leading or in charge of the Open House and therefore had no obligations as such regarding the young man when they met 36 years ago."
At the time, Iceland's age of consent was 14 and its age of independence was 16.
Despite her resignation as children's minister, Thórsdóttir is still a lawmaker for the People's Party.
