Parole board to release evil rapist Jason Van Der Baan under strict conditions

He’s a monstrous rapist whose crimes shocked Australia, but Jason Van Der Baan will be out of jail next month after authorities argued he should be released a year early. Read why.

Jason Van Der Baan arriving at court in 2002, charged with strangling his aunt to death. Picture: John Grainger

An evil serial rapist, who was acquitted of strangling his aunt, will be released from prison next month with the State Parole Authority desperate to keep close tabs on him while they can.

Jason Van Der Baan has spent more than 25 years behind bars for a series of brutal rapes dating back to the 1990s.

He was just months away from release when, in 2009, DNA linked him to more violent sexual attacks and he was sentenced again.

One was a knifepoint attack on a 15-year-old girl.

Van Der Baan‘s case became infamous when he was acquitted of strangling his aunt, Irene Wilson, despite a confession.

The rapist had confessed to an undercover officer that he had jumped on her back to strangle her with a shoelace, but the evidence was ruled inadmissable.

Convicted rapist Jason Van Der Baan being led away from court after being acquitted on charges of murdering his aunt Irene Wilson.

Senior police and victims have repeatedly spoken out about the dangers of allowing Van Der Baan to walk out of prison.

But in just one year the heinous Van Der Baan will have finished his time in custody and will be released back into the community — and no court will be able to stop him.

This has prompted the State Parole Authority to release Van Der Baan on parole, under strict conditions, so it can spend the last 12 months of his sentence forcing him to undergo therapy and wear an electronic ankle monitor.

The SPA on Friday confirmed Van Der Baan would be released between March 3 and 11, after government departments, the State of NSW, the Serious Offenders Review Council and Community Corrections raised no objections.

“The SPA was advised Van Der Baan acknowledges his offending, has completed a sex offender program in custody, and will continue forensic psychological intervention in the community,” the SPA said in a statement.

Van Der Baan will be out on parole next month.

The rapist will have to abide by numerous additional restrictions above and beyond those of normal parolees.

He must not use drugs, must not use a gun or any weapon, must not stalk or contact victims, cannot be around children or use social media to contact them, and is listed on the Child Protection Register.

“High-risk offenders”, in recent years, have walked out of prison only to find themselves hit with new court orders, including continuing detention orders (CDOs) and extended supervision orders (ESOs).

CDOs are rare but allow a court to keep an unrepentant and dangerous criminal locked up beyond the end of their prison sentence.

ESOs allow released offenders to be kept on ankle monitors or under the close watch of authorities while in the community once their parole expires.

Both last for a maximum of three years, but most crooks on ESOs and CDOs are not given the maximum.

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