A NSW murderer was recently let out on parole. What happened next has barely made the news.

In 2003, 18-year-old Lyndsay Van Blanken was murdered by her former boyfriend, William Matheson. He was also 18 at the time.

After being reported missing, Lyndsay was found zipped inside a cricket bag, left in a storage unit in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Matheson was arrested and charged with her murder. Two years later, he was convicted and sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 18 years.

In 2023, despite opposition from Lyndsay's family, Matheson was granted parole by the NSW State Parole Authority. He was released under strict conditions, including electronic monitoring and mandatory psychological treatment. He was not subject to restrictions on social media or dating websites.

Matheson now faces a charge of sexual assault relating to an alleged incident that occurred while on parole.

NSW Police allege that Matheson committed a sexual offence against a woman at a private residence.

Matheson was arrested and charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent. He was refused bail and is due to face court again later this month.

The alleged victim cannot be identified, and the accused has not yet entered a plea.

News of his arrest has devastated Lyndsay's mother, Cynthia Van Blanken. Cynthia has spent the past two decades advocating for her daughter and calling for justice. She opposed Matheson's parole application, telling authorities she feared he would reoffend.

As part of his parole conditions, Matheson had been subject to GPS tracking and psychological treatment. Cynthia says those safeguards weren't enough.

"I just don't understand the system. I think the system is broken," she told A Current Affair.

Matheson was released on parole, six years before the end of his maximum sentence, under the management of NSW Community Corrections.

Parole forms part of a sentence, allowing supervised release after a non-parole period has been served.

In a statement to Mamamia, Corrective Services NSW said it was aware a 42-year-old parolee has been refused bail on alleged sexual offences.

"As the matter is before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

"Community safety is Corrective Services NSW's highest priority, and we work extremely hard to promote lawful and pro-social behaviour by people on supervision."

However, victim advocates and members of the public, along with Cynthia, are calling for a review of the system. They say the current approach may not go far enough in protecting the community, particularly in cases involving high-risk offenders.

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Feature image: supplied.