A Brossard, Que., resident who was found guilty of killing her family in 2022, will not appeal the guilty verdict.
Mohamad Al Ballouz, who now identifies as a woman and goes by Levana Ballouz, was sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole for 25 years.
A jury found Ballouz guilty on Dec. 16, 2024, of fatally stabbing her partner Synthia Bussières and their two sons, five-year-old Eliam and two-year-old Zac, in 2022.
In an email to Global News, the Crown says the date for the appeal has expired, though it’s still possible to apply for an extension of the deadline.
However, it has yet to receive such a request.
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In his sentencing decision at the courthouse in Longueuil, Que., in December, Quebec Superior Justice Eric Downs said the court considered the “extreme violence” and brutal manner in which Bussières was repeatedly stabbed — a killing he described as a “femicide” and illustrative of “the sadistic character of the accused.”
In the deaths of the boys, the jury found Ballouz guilty of first-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. For the second-degree murder conviction in the death of Bussières, parole eligibility can range between 10 and 25 years, and Downs ruled that it should be 20 years. The jury had recommended 21 years.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) told Global News in an email that Ballouz is currently being detained in a men’s prison, despite her request to be housed in a women’s facility.
“Each accommodation request is assessed on a case-by-case basis and requires a robust assessment of the offender’s needs and risks, as well as any overriding health and safety concerns, including the review of mitigation strategies,” CSC spokesperson Kevin Antonucci said.
“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.
—with files from The Canadian Press
Editor’s Note: Global News’ policy is not to deadname individuals, but in this case, the accused’s name at birth appears frequently in legal documents.