Denies confidentiality breach in ministerial scandal

The Prime Minister's Office has denied allegations that it breached confidentiality in a case involving Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir, the outgoing Minister of Children and Education.

Þórsdóttir resigned last night following a report by RÚV that she had engaged in a relationship with a 15-year-old boy when she was 22, later having a child with him.

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The RÚV report also claimed that a confidential message had been sent to the Prime Minister's Office. In response, Þórsdóttir reportedly visited the home of the sender and attempted to call her.

Communication between Prime Minister’s office and minister’s team

According to an official statement, the Prime Minister received an email request for a five-minute meeting on March 9, though the subject was not specified. A follow-up email on March 11 reiterated the request, this time indicating that the matter involved the Minister of Children and Education and suggesting her attendance.

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Ólafur Kjaran, assistant to Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, then contacted Þórsdóttir’s assistant to ask if she recognized the sender or was aware of the matter. The assistant reportedly had no prior knowledge of it. Following this, the Prime Minister’s Office requested further clarification via email.

Confidential message received on March 13

According to Anna Rut Kristjánsdóttir, an assistant to the government, a detailed message containing sensitive and confidential information was received at the Prime Minister's Office on the night of March 13.

“There was no communication between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs regarding this matter until today. The claims in the RÚV report that the Prime Minister’s Office breached confidentiality are unfounded,” the statement read.

Unanswered questions

Despite these denials, lingering questions remain. In an interview last night, Þórsdóttir claimed she did not recognize the sender. This raises further concerns—if she was unaware of the sender’s identity, why did she attempt to contact them? Additionally, the message and meeting request were directed to the Prime Minister, not the Minister of Children and Education, adding another layer of intrigue to the controversy.