Thórsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Education and Children’s Affairs, has resigned after admitting to being in a relationship with a 16-year-old when she was 23, 36 years ago.
Speaking with Icelandic media, Thórsdóttir admitted to being in a relationship with someone underage, even having a child with them during her stint as a counselor when she was 23 years old.
Thórsdóttir first met the boy at the religious group Trú og líf (Religion and Life), which he had joined due to a difficult living situation at home.
“It’s been 36 years, a lot of things change in that time and I would definitely have dealt with these issues differently today,” explained Thórsdóttir.
As the news initially broke, Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir summoned Thórsdóttir to her office, where Thórsdóttir officially resigned.
Speaking on the matter, Frostadóttir noted, “This is a very personal matter [and] out of respect for the person concerned, I will not comment on the substance.”