Iceland government collapses over paedophile allegation

An allegation over a paedophile's links to Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson has prompted the collapse of Iceland's ruling coalition. The Bright Future party announced it was withdrawing from the three-party coalition after nine months in office. It blamed a "serious breach of trust within the government".

Earlier it emerged that the prime minister's father had written a letter recommending a convicted paedophile have his "honour restored". This old Icelandic system permits convicts to have certain civil rights restored - enabling them to run for public office, qualify for certain government jobs or serve as an attorney or solicitor, for example - if three letters of recommendation from persons of good character are provided.

But Icelanders have been horrified by the secret backing for Hjalti Sigurjón Hauksson - convicted in 2004 of raping his stepdaughter almost every day for 12 years from when she was five. He served a five-and-a-half-year jail term. The Reykjavik Grapevine news site quotes the survivor of Hauksson's abuse as saying it was "surreal" that he should receive the restored honour.