A prominent advocate for victims’ rights has criticized a recent social media post by former Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis, calling it “deeply offensive.” The backlash comes after Dennis avoided jail time in connection to the tragic accident that resulted in his wife’s death.
Rohan Dennis, 35, received a suspended sentence in May of last year following an incident in which his wife, Melissa Hoskins, aged 32, was fatally injured by the vehicle he was driving. The tragic event occurred near their residence in Medindie, a suburb in Adelaide’s inner north, on December 30, 2023.
Melissa Hoskins, also an Olympic cyclist, sustained severe injuries and was later pronounced dead at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
In a recent Instagram post, Dennis shared a photo of his Porsche, a different vehicle, captioning it with the words “what an absolute weapon.”
Sarah Quick, the Victims’ Rights Commissioner, expressed her disapproval of Dennis’s post, stating that the message was highly inappropriate given the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
“This comment is profoundly offensive and underscores a troubling lack of awareness regarding the lasting impact of the harm he has caused,” Quick remarked in a formal statement.
“It also reflects a profound lack of respect for Melissa and her family, who continue to live with the consequences of that harm every day.”
The ex-professional cyclist went on to post a second image to his Instagram of his children with a similar caption which read: “Two absolute weapons.”
Nine.com.au has contacted Dennis for comment.
Dennis pleaded guilty to committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm but he was not being held criminally responsible for his wife’s death.
He was given a 17-month suspended prison term with a two-year good behaviour bond and was suspended from driving for two years.
During sentencing submissions in the SA District Court last year, Hoskins’ mother Amanda said her daughter had loved Dennis and “and I know that you would never intentionally hurt her”.
“I believe this is a tragic accident. Your temper is your downfall and needs to be addressed,” she said.
During his competitive career, Dennis won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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