Brandon police are asking the public to help them identify a woman and her daughter in an unusual and mysterious case.

The woman, 30, and her daughter, 7, came to Brandon in August and police have been involved in an investigation for a little over a month.

They're definitely victims. - Sgt. Kevin McLean, Brandon Police Service

Shortly after arriving in Brandon in the summer, the woman contacted a social agency. That agency then called police.

"They're definitely victims," said Sgt Kevin McLean, public information officer with the Brandon Police Service.

McLean said the victims have made some serious allegations that are "sensitive in nature," preventing police from disclosing much information.

He wouldn't say what those allegations were, only that without the public's help to identify the mother and daughter, investigators can't move forward with the case.

Case is 'very unusual'

"They had absolutely no identification on them," said McLean. "It's very unusual. I've been doing this job for 26 years and nothing like this has really happened in Brandon, anyway."

Investigators believe the mother and daughter came to Brandon on their own. They're now trying to find out where they are from and where they've been. Police have been speaking with the two females but need more information to better determine the scope of their investigation.

'It's a very good possibility they've changed their appearance in some way. It's a good possibility that they're not using the name that they used before. They may be using a different name," said McLean.

It's a very good possibility they've changed their appearance in some way. - Sgt. Kevin McLean

Police insist the females are victims and not suspected of any wrongdoing. Officers now need information from the public to confirm their identities and learn more about their circumstances.

"We don't really have a lot to go on concerning where they're from and things like that. They are co-operating with us, but they're not providing the information that we need," McLean said.

On Oct. 9, police released a photo of the two that was taken in Brandon recently. It was altered to block out information investigators didn't want to be made public. They also issued a public appeal for help in identifying the victims.

"If anyone's seen them, if anybody knows where they might be from, if anybody's dealt with them in the last little while, or in the last several years, that's what we're looking for," said McLean. "We're just looking for something to follow up on some information from anywhere."

Police aren't just limiting their scope to Manitoba. They're asking that the photo be distributed throughout Canada and the U.S.

McLean wouldn't say if police suspect there could be other victims.

"All we're really looking for is help identifying them and then once we have that help then we can proceed, and after that we can release more concerning the investigation," said McLean.

UPDATE Oct. 16: The woman is now charged with public mischief for allegedly lying to investigators about being the victim of human trafficking. Because the child is now in CFS custody, the pair can't be identified.