Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir

Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir
Official portrait, 2025
Minister of Education and Children's Affairs
In office
21 December 2024 – 20 March 2025
Prime MinisterKristrún Frostadóttir
Preceded byÁsmundur Einar Daðason
Succeeded byGuðmundur Ingi Kristinsson
Member of the Althing
Assumed office
25 September 2021
ConstituencySouth
Acting Speaker of the Althing
In office
30 November 2024 – 5 February 2025
Preceded byBirgir Ármannsson
Succeeded byÞórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir
Personal details
Born (1966-11-20) 20 November 1966 (age 58)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Political partyPeople's Party
SpouseHafþór Ólafsson
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Iceland
Iceland College of Education

Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir (born 20 November 1966) is an Icelandic politician. She served as minister of education and children's affairs for four months until she resigned due to a scandal involving a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was in her early 20s.[1] She has been a member of the Althing since 2021 for the People's Party of Iceland.[2]

Education

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Ásthildur graduated from Reykjavik Women's Gymnasium in 1986 and from the Iceland College of Education in 1994 with a B.Ed.[2]

Diploma in Project Management and Leadership Training from Nordica Consulting Group at the Continuing Education Department of the University of Iceland 2016 and D-level IPMA certification in project management from the Icelandic Project Management Association (Verkefnastjórnunarfélagi Íslands).[2]

Previous career

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She had worked as a teacher since 1994 throughout most of her career before becoming a minister.[2]

Resignation

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On 20 March 2025, she resigned following a scandal in which she admitted to a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was 22. They met in a religious group called Trú og Líf (English: Faith and Life), where she worked as a Christian youth leader.[3]

She later gave birth to his child when he was 16, and she was 23.[4]

At the time of the relationship, the age of consent in Iceland was 14. However, under current law, sexual relationships are not permitted between a person under the age of 18 and someone who is their teacher, mentor, or employer.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Þetta eru ráðherrar ríkisstjórnarinnar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 21 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir" (in Icelandic). Althing.
  3. ^ a b "Barnamálaráðherra átti barn með unglingspilti sem hún kynntist í trúarsöfnuði". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  4. ^ Kristjánsson, Alexander; Magnúsdóttir, Ásta Hlín (20 March 2025). "Ásthildur Lóa segir af sér ráðherraembætti - RÚV.is". RÚV. Retrieved 20 March 2025.