"At 22, dated a 15-year-old boy and gave birth"…Child Education Minister's admission sparks uproar

Icelandic Minister of Children and Education Calls It "A Youthful Mistake"
Resigns from Ministerial Post but Remains in Parliament

The Icelandic Minister of Children and Education has acknowledged giving birth to a child with a 15-year-old boy she met in her twenties and has stepped down from her ministerial position.

Persons under the age of 18 in Iceland are considered legal minors. The photo shows a region in Iceland. Photo by Getty Images

Recently, Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that Minister ?ttildur Loa Þ?rsd?ttir (58) admitted that 36 years ago, when she was 22, she had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy in a religious organization and gave birth to a child. She also expressed her intention to resign from her ministerial post. However, she decided to retain her seat as a member of parliament.

She said, "Thirty-six years have passed and much has changed, so I think these issues would be handled differently now." She also described the birth as "a youthful mistake."

According to RUV, Minister Þ?rsd?ttir met the boy, who came to the organization from a difficult family background, while working at the religious group, and became pregnant shortly after they first met.

They kept their romantic relationship secret and spent time together during the first year after the child was born. However, it is known that they separated due to factors such as the boy being a teenager at the time, financial difficulties, and living in different cities. The child's father’s side claimed that contact with his son was lost when the child was less than one year old. The biological father requested to see the child, but Minister Þ?rsd?ttir refused and received child support from him for 18 years.

Atildur Loa Thorsdottir, former Minister of Children and Education of Iceland. Photo by RUV.

Currently, in Iceland, individuals under 18 are considered legal minors. The age of consent for consensual sexual activity is 15, but sexual relations with those under 18 are prohibited if there is a priest-parishioner relationship, mentor-mentee relationship, employment relationship, or financial dependency. Violating this can result in up to three years of imprisonment. However, the biological father stated that he does not consider himself a victim of the romantic relationship.

This fact came to light when a relative of the biological father directly contacted Icelandic Prime Minister Kristr?n Frostad?ttir. Prime Minister Frostad?ttir summoned Minister Þ?rsd?ttir to inquire about the facts, and she conveyed her intention to resign.

The resignation has been regarded as the right decision in Icelandic political circles. According to RUV, "(This resignation) reduces pressure on the government and allows focus on implementing plans," adding, "At this stage, it does not appear that cooperation between Minister Þ?rsd?ttir and the party is under threat."