Quebec trans woman convicted of triple homicide to serve time in men's prison

Levana Ballouz, a trans woman who was convicted of murdering her partner and their two children on Montreal's South Shore, will serve her sentence in a men's prison.

Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) spokesperson Kevin Antonucci confirmed the decision in an email, saying that the "initial assessment in this case has been completed and that the designated place of incarceration will be a men's facility."

A jury found Ballouz guilty on Dec. 16 of fatally stabbing her partner Synthia Bussières, and suffocating their two children, five-year-old Éliam and two-year-old Zac in 2022 in Brossard, Que.

During sentencing, the judge in the case described Ballouz as "sadistic", "dangerous" and "manipulative."  She was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for at least 25 years. 

Ballouz was known as Mohamad Al Ballouz at the time she was charged. 

She asked to serve her time in a women's prison and has been held in a men's prison during the assessment, CSC says.

CSC's current policy says that inmates who self-identify as gender diverse "will be sent to the institution type (men's or women's) that better aligns with their gender identity or expression, if that is their preference, unless there are overriding health or safety concerns that cannot be resolved." 

In the email confirming Ballouz's place of incarceration in a men's prison, the CSC said each accommodation request "is evaluated on a case-by-case basis" and requires an assessment of the individual's needs and risks.

The CSC said the request will be denied if overriding health and safety concerns cannot be mitigated and "alternative measures to address gender-related needs will be implemented."

The federal agency declined to provide further details citing the Privacy Act.