Ásthildur Lóa Thórsdóttir, 58, faced intense scrutiny after revealing that she began a relationship with a boy when he was just 15 years old, while she was a 22-year-old counselor at a religious organization he attended. The relationship led to the birth of their child when Thórsdóttir was 23. In her own defense, she stated, "It's been 36 years, a lot of things change in that time, and I would definitely have dealt with these issues differently today."
With the gravity of the situation in mind, Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir characterized the matter as "serious," yet noted she only learned of the details that same day. After a prompt meeting with Thórsdóttir, the decision to resign was made. Thórsdóttir later voiced feelings of upset about the circumstances leading to her resignation, emphasizing the difficulty of conveying the full story regarding her past in today's media landscape.
The initial expose came from Iceland's RUV news agency, which detailed her relationship with the father of her child, identified as Eirík Ásmundsson. Their bond reportedly started within the context of a religious group, where Ásmundsson sought refuge from a challenging home environment. Although the relationship was kept private initially, the dynamics shifted when Thórsdóttir entered a new marriage. Despite these events, she sought financial child support from Ásmundsson for 18 years while denying him access to their son.
In light of these revelations and Iceland's laws—where engaging in sexual relations with individuals under 18 years of age, while in mentoring or financially dependent situations, can incur severe penalties—Thórsdóttir left her cabinet position but made it clear she had no intention of stepping down from her role in parliament.
With the gravity of the situation in mind, Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir characterized the matter as "serious," yet noted she only learned of the details that same day. After a prompt meeting with Thórsdóttir, the decision to resign was made. Thórsdóttir later voiced feelings of upset about the circumstances leading to her resignation, emphasizing the difficulty of conveying the full story regarding her past in today's media landscape.
The initial expose came from Iceland's RUV news agency, which detailed her relationship with the father of her child, identified as Eirík Ásmundsson. Their bond reportedly started within the context of a religious group, where Ásmundsson sought refuge from a challenging home environment. Although the relationship was kept private initially, the dynamics shifted when Thórsdóttir entered a new marriage. Despite these events, she sought financial child support from Ásmundsson for 18 years while denying him access to their son.
In light of these revelations and Iceland's laws—where engaging in sexual relations with individuals under 18 years of age, while in mentoring or financially dependent situations, can incur severe penalties—Thórsdóttir left her cabinet position but made it clear she had no intention of stepping down from her role in parliament.
