Iceland's Minister for Children has resigned after admitting she had a child with a teenager more than 30 years ago.

Asthildur Laa Thorsdottir said in a media interview that she had started a relationship when the boy was 15 years old and she was 22 years old.


She then gave birth to his child when he was 16 and she was 23.

"It's been 36 years, a lot of things change in that time and I would definitely have handled these issues differently today," the 58-year-old told Icelandic media.

Iceland's Prime Minister, Kristrun Frostadottir, told the press that this was "a serious matter," although she said she knew little, writes BBC, the Telegraph reports.

According to the Visir newspaper, Frostadottir said she only received confirmation of the story on Thursday night.

She immediately called the minister to her office, where she resigned.

Frostadottir said last night that when the woman discovered she was having an affair with a government minister, she demanded more information, which led to the revelation and resignation.

Icelandic law prohibits sexual relations between teachers and minors who are financially dependent on them.

Despite resigning from her position as minister, Thorsdottir has stated that she has no intention of leaving her position in parliament. /Telegraph/