There are growing calls for an overhaul of Tasmania's sex abuse laws in the wake of outrage following the airing of Grace Tame's harrowing ordeal.

Key points: While Tasmania's rape laws were widened in 2018, the changes also mean a greater variety in the length of sentences

While Tasmania's rape laws were widened in 2018, the changes also mean a greater variety in the length of sentences There are also concerns that because of its connotations, those charged with rape will now fight it and force the victim to go through the ordeal of a trial

There are also concerns that because of its connotations, those charged with rape will now fight it and force the victim to go through the ordeal of a trial Despite raping his 15yo victim repeatedly over an extended period, Nicolaas Bester was charged with the offence of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person

Tasmania's existing laws normalise sex attacks on children and cause confusion about what is rape, according to victims, their advocates and lawyers.

Former head of Tasmania's Bar Association, Chris Gunson, said the charge of maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under 17 needed to be scrapped.

He said the charge "normalises" the offending — or suggests the child was a willing participant in an equal relationship.

"It's not maintaining a relationship, it's not voluntary on the part of the child, it is the child being a victim of sexual abuse," he said.

Mr Gunson wants a new offence: Persistent Sexual Abuse of a Child:

"By describing it [like that] it attaches an appropriate description to what the offending is," Mr Gunson said.

"And it removes any suggestion that the child has participated in voluntarily or potentially been a factor in the offending itself occurring.

"It makes it clear that the child is the victim of the offending rather than a participant in some sort of unlawful consensual relationship."

Grace Tame had to fight through Tasmania's legal system to win the right to reveal her identity. ( ABC News: Jack Fisher )

Grace Tame was 15 when she was repeatedly raped by her teacher Nicolaas Bester.

But Bester wasn't prosecuted for rape — he was convicted of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person.

Ms Tame has spent the past decade dealing with repeated public comments by her abuser that it was a relationship in which she was an equal willing participant

"I just sat on my bed and cried," Ms Tame told ABC's 7.30 Report.

But it is not the only law where advocates say the name of the charge is misleading.

Tasmania's rape laws were widened last year to include a number of acts that would traditionally have been classed as an aggravated sexual assault.

It means tougher sentences for all the sex crimes now classed as rape — but it will also mean a greater variety in the length of sentences.

Confusion over definition of rape

Criminal lawyer Kim Baumeler said there is a lack of understanding in the community about what the crime of rape now means.

"In the general community, the assumption is that if you are charged with rape, it's penetration with the penis and it's some sort of violent, really forced act," Ms Baumeler said.

"Whereas now, we have all sorts of different acts that are classed in that [category] … equally serious in terms of what the charge is, but not in terms of the factual scenario."

There are concerns it will lead to sentencing confusion.

"If the courts now sentence two years to a rape … you're going to have public outcry because people are being sentenced too leniently, because the community perception of what a rape is is going to be nothing like what the actual factual scenario is," Ms Baumeler said.

Victim advocates, such as Alina Thomas from Engender Equality, said the new definition empowers victims.

"We need to be more aware across the whole community about changing attitudes and cultures, so we have a greater awareness around what is consensual sex, when it becomes a criminal offence," she said.

There are also concerns that because of its connotations, those charged with rape will now fight it and force the victim to go through the ordeal of a trial.

It has led to a call to change the name of the crime from rape to sexual assault to acknowledge it now covers a range of behaviours.