Iceland’s Minister of Education and Children’s Affairs, Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir, resigned on Friday following revelations of a relationship with a 15-year-old boy she mentored over 30 years ago, which resulted in the birth of a child. T

he 58-year-old politician stepped down after the Icelandic news outlet RÚV exposed the decades-old affair, sparking a national uproar.

Þórsdóttir, then a 22-year-old counselor at the Trú og Líf religious group in Kópavogur, began the relationship with Eiríkur Ásmundsson, who sought refuge in the group amid a troubled home life. Their son was born when Ásmundsson was 16 and Þórsdóttir was 23.

While Iceland’s age of consent is 15, laws prohibit sexual relationships with minors under 18 if the adult holds a position of authority—potentially carrying a three-year prison term.

The scandal erupted after a relative of Ásmundsson contacted the Prime Minister’s Office, prompting Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir to summon Þórsdóttir on Thursday. She resigned shortly after, citing the risk of ongoing disruption to government work.

“It’s been 36 years—I’d handle it differently today,” she told RÚV, insisting her past shouldn’t overshadow her career, though she plans to remain in parliament.

Ásmundsson alleges Þórsdóttir denied him access to their son after she married, despite his 18 years of child support payments. The controversy has reignited debates on power dynamics and accountability, with no word yet on potential legal action.

Frostadóttir called it “a serious matter” but refrained from further comment.