Iceland’s Minister for Children, Ásthildur Thórsdóttir, has resigned from her office after admitting she had a child with a teenager many years ago.
Thórsdóttir resigned 35 years after having her first child with the then 16-year-old teenager when she was just 23 years old.
The now 58-year-old minister confessed after being confronted by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir following revelations from a relative to her then-lover, who claimed she denied him access to the child.
According to Frostadóttir, during a press conference on Friday, Thórsdóttir’s case was “a serious matter,” though she admitted knowing little more than “the average person.”
“This is a very personal matter, and out of respect for the individual involved, I will not comment on the details. I only received confirmation of the story on Thursday night before summoning the Minister for Children, who then resigned,” she said.
Earlier, Thórsdóttir revealed that she had started a relationship when the boy was 15 years old, while she was a 22-year-old counselor at a religious group he attended.
The minister expressed disappointment that the woman had contacted the prime minister but stated that despite resigning from her ministerial position, she had no plans to leave parliament.
“It’s been 36 years, a lot of things have changed in that time and I would definitely have dealt with these issues differently today,” she said.
“I understand what it looks like, it is “very difficult to get the right story across in the news today,” she added.
While the age of consent in Iceland is 15, it is illegal to have sex with a person under the age of 18 if you are their teacher or mentor, if they are financially dependent on you, or work for you. The maximum sentence for this crime is three years in jail.
