Details around death has not been released
The criminal case against a Montreal man charged with the first-degree murder of a Canada Revenue Agency employee has collapsed after the accused died in custody — denying the victim’s family a day in court.
The Quebec coroner’s office confirmed it was informed of Youcef Moussaoui’s death on Nov. 2, 2026, according to The Canadian Press. No further details were released. Moussaoui, 33, had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Leïla Ben Salem, 45, found dead in her downtown Montreal home on Sept. 22 following a police wellness check.
Montreal police confirmed to CP that Moussaoui’s death brings criminal proceedings to a close without a trial. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones,” the force said. “We are aware that this situation deprives them of the judicial process.”
Investigators established that Moussaoui had performed work at Ben Salem’s home and that a “relationship of trust” had developed between them. Police also gathered evidence showing that “financial transactions had been carried out on the victim’s accounts after her death,” according to CP.
The killing
Ben Salem was participating in a work-related Zoom call when she was attacked inside her Ville-Marie apartment. Emergency crews attempted to resuscitate her but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the murder did not take place in a context of intimate partner violence. Her death was the 19th homicide in Montreal in 2026.
Union of Taxation Employees national president Adam Jackson said the union — which represents more than 32,000 CRA employees — would work with the local to support Ben Salem’s colleagues and stood ready to assist her family. Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed in the House of Commons that Ben Salem was working when she was attacked, with both Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre offering condolences, according to The Canadian Press.
The case has drawn renewed attention to employer obligations under Canadian OHS law when workers face violence at home. Patrick Essiminy, a partner at Stikeman Elliott’s Montreal office, says Quebec has amended its health and safety legislation to extend the concept of workplace to remote work, “and therefore the obligations that would normally apply in a traditional work environment or workplace are now being applied.”
In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act now applies to telework performed in or around a private residence as of 2024, according to Aaron Zaltzman, an associate lawyer at Whitten & Lublin in Toronto. Essiminy noted that fatality reporting obligations under the Canada Labour Code apply whether a worker dies at a traditional worksite or at home — a point critical to managing safety risks for employees working alone or remotely. Zaltzman urged employers to review their policies to ensure protections explicitly cover remote settings, adding: “Act as though there is no difference between the physical workplace and the remote workplace.” That guidance reflects longstanding concerns about rising violence against remote and frontline workers across Canada.
