Iceland: the past catches up with the minister for Education and Children

Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir resigns after revelations about an unusual former romance

The past has come back to haunt Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister for Education and Children. She has resigned from her post following revelations of a past relationship with a 15-year-old boy, with whom she had a son. This relationship, which began when she was just 22 and leading youth work in a religious congregation, was uncovered by the national news channel RÚV.

The boy’s father, Eiríkur Ásmundsson, confirmed the romantic involvement, which started shortly after he sought help from the congregation. They kept the relationship secret, and though initially allowed to see his son, Eiríkur's access was cut off within a year. Despite this, he was required to pay child support for 18 years.

The context is that the People’s Party, which Ásthildur Lóa represents, has strongly advocated for 'parental alienation' to be punished by up to five years in prison. A minister implicated in a case with these overtones would therefore be a problem.

What’s more, although the legal age of consent in Iceland is fifteen, laws prohibit sexual relations with individuals under eighteen in certain contexts, such as between a minor and their teacher or instructor.

Minister's resignation a “necessary move”

Given the tiny population of Iceland – just over 380,000 – and its very open society, it’s remarkable that this revelation should become an issue so many years after it happened. Yet Ásthildur Lóa’s resignation is seen as a necessary move to alleviate pressure on the government, allowing it to focus on its agenda. She will remain a member of parliament with the center-right People’s Party.

• In unelated news, Iceland has again been ranked third on the list of the world's happiest nations, according to the newly published World Happiness Report. Nordic neighbors Denmark and Finland took the second and first places, respectively, with Sweden and Norway ranking fourth and seventh.

(Michael Leahy Source: RÚV. Photo: Laura Fuhrman/Unsplash)