By Canadian Press

Convicted Quebec murderer in men’s institution as request for women’s prison studied

Jan 8, 2025 | 3:17 PM

MONTREAL — A Quebecer found guilty of murdering a woman and their two children is being held in a men’s federal institution while authorities assess the convict’s request to be housed in a women’s prison.

Mohamad Al Ballouz was sentenced Dec. 20 to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years for the 2022 murders of Synthia Bussières and their sons, five-year-old Eliam and two-year-old Zac, in the Montreal suburb of Brossard.

Al Ballouz, who now identifies as a woman and goes by the name Levana, asked to be incarcerated at the Joliette Institution for Women.

Correctional Service Canada said in an emailed statement that offenders are assessed within 60 to 90 days of being admitted into a federal institution and that accommodation requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine offender needs and risks.

The federal agency says its policy is to place offenders in institutions that align with their gender identity unless there are “overriding health and safety concerns” that can’t otherwise be mitigated.

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It says that if a request is denied, it puts alternatives in place to meet the offender’s gender-related needs in the institution where they are being held.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2025.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press