Child rights activists were in disagreement Thursday over the issue of consent in cases of child sex abuse, with one group advocating that the age of consent be raised to 18 and another saying age should not be the primary factor. Lee Li-fen, the secretary-general of the Taiwan chapter of the International Campaign to End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism, pointed out that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines 'children' as persons up to the age 18. However, regardless of a child's age, the issue of consent should not be considered in court cases involving sex with a minor, Lee said in an interview with selfnews. But Alicia Wang, executive-director of the Child Welfare League Foundation, argued that determining whether or not there was consent is more important than raising the age of consent. 'In Taiwan, more and more people in the seven to 14 age group, and those up to 18, are experimenting with sex, ' she told selfnews. 'A blanket penalty for sexual activity involving a minor could end up criminalizing many teenagers.' Their comments were made against the background of a recent Supreme Court decision to impose heavier sentences for sexual molestation of children under the age of seven. In a resolution Tuesday, the Supreme Court said the minimum sentence in such cases will be set at seven years in prison. The decision came amid public outrage over a three-year sentence that was handed down in a case of sexual abuse of a six-year old girl, and the judge's ruling that prosecutors failed to prove the child had shown 'strong will' in fighting off the perpetrator. Lee said the consent issue should not even be raised in the prosecution of people who sexually abuse children. 'The question of consent in cases of child molestation or sexual exploitation is moot,' she said. 'In other words, it does not matter whether the child said yes or signed an agreement to engage in sexual activity, the act is unlawful.' Wang, on the other hand, maintained that in such cases the judges should not overlook the element of consent. However, they should determine whether consent was given, rather than whether there was no resistance, she added. 'If a child did not say 'no' or put up a fight, it does not mean she or he willingly or voluntarily agreed to the sex act,' Wang said. 