Quebecer who murdered partner, 2 children serving life sentence in men's prison

Mohamad Al Ballouz was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. (Court evidence)

A Quebecer convicted of killing her spouse and two children is now serving a life sentence in a men's prison.

Mohamad Al Ballouz, who now identifies as a woman, was sentenced last month after being convicted of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Synthia Bussières, 38, and of first-degree murder in the deaths of their two kids, aged five and two. The killings happened in September of 2022 in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore.

When Quebec Superior Justice Eric Downs delivered his sentence on Dec. 20, he described the killing as a "femicide" and illustrative of "the sadistic character of the accused."

During the trial, Al Ballouz was held in a female institution.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), which is responsible for housing inmates in federal institutions, confirmed to CTV News on Tuesday that Al Ballouz is now in a men's federal institution, but declined to provide specific details due to privacy concerns.

A CSC spokesperson said accommodation requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis and require "a robust assessment of the offender's needs and risks, as well as any overriding health and safety concerns."

"CSC’s policy is to place offenders in an institution that better aligns with their gender identity unless there are overriding health and safety concerns that cannot be otherwise mitigated. 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," the spokesperson said.

According to the agency's website, if an inmate disagrees with a transfer, they can submit "a high priority grievance to the national level" for review.