MONTREAL — A Quebecer convicted last year in a domestic homicide that left a woman and two children dead must remain in a men's prison despite identifying as a woman, federal corrections officials said Wednesday.
Mohamad Al Ballouz, who now uses the name Levana, was sentenced in December to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
In 2022, Al Ballouz murdered Synthia Bussières and the couple's sons — five-year-old Eliam and two-year-old Zac — in the Montreal suburb of Brossard. The killer, who was married to Bussières, was also convicted of arson for setting fire to the family condo.
Al Ballouz transitioned while in custody, and after being convicted asked to be incarcerated at the Joliette Institution for Women, northeast of Montreal.
“The Correctional Service of Canada can confirm that the intake assessment in this case has been completed and that the inmate will be incarcerated in a men’s institution," the agency said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. Citing the federal Privacy Act, it declined to provide any additional information.
In the deaths of the boys, the jury found Al Ballouz guilty of first-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence without possibility of parole for 25 years. For the second-degree murder conviction in the death of Bussières, parole eligibility was set by the judge at 20 years.
That decision was largely symbolic as the total period before being eligible to apply for parole cannot exceed 25 years. Al Ballouz was also sentenced to four years on the arson charge.
In January, corrections officials said that offenders are assessed within 60 to 90 days of being sentenced to a federal institution to determine security risks and review details of the case.
The assessment permits authorities to determine security level and "appropriate penitentiary placement" based on factors including security of the public, corrections staff and other inmates.
"Furthermore, the victims’ concerns are taken into account when determining the penitentiary placement," the federal agency said previously.
The agency said it works with offenders who request accommodations based on gender identity, including placement that better aligns with the offender's gender identity or expression. The agency said Wednesday that each request for accommodation is assessed individually.
"When there are overriding health and safety concerns, the request is denied and alternatives are put in place to meet the offender’s gender‑related needs at the institution where they are incarcerated," it said.
During sentencing in December at the courthouse in Longueuil, Que., Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Downs described Al Ballouz as "sadistic" and remorseless.
“The evidence shows that the accused shows no remorse, no empathy. Mohamad Al Ballouz, alias Levana Ballouz, is a deeply narcissistic person,” the judge said.
The trial heard Bussières, 38, was stabbed 23 times. At least 11 of the stab wounds were classified as defensive wounds, which the Crown said shows she fought for her life.
The boys were then killed before Al Ballouz consumed wiper fluid and set the fire to destroy evidence. An autopsy was not able to establish the exact cause of the boys' deaths.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
