Silent twins: Film tells of sisters who only spoke to each other

Marjorie Wallace (middle) worked with Jennifer (left) and June (right) to tell their story

The story of identical twins who spoke to no-one but each other for years has been brought to life by a new film.

June and Jennifer Gibbons were born in April 1963 and grew up in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

They were taken to Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security mental health hospital, when they were 19, before Jennifer died at the age of 30.

Marjorie Wallace, the film's executive producer, described them as brilliant writers with a great sense of humour.

For years, they spoke only to one another and, as teenagers, committed a variety of crimes including vandalism, petty theft and arson resulting in them being institutionalised indefinitely.

They spent 11 years in Broadmoor.

Ms Wallace, an investigative journalist and founder of mental health charity SANE, spent a lot of time with the sisters over the years and still maintains a close relationship with June.

In 1993, the sisters were due to be transferred to another location, but Jennifer died in transit.

Though her cause of death has never been officially realised, Ms Wallace said she and June believed Jennifer "sacrificed herself so June would be truly liberated".

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Ms Wallace is executive producer of the new film, The Silent Twins, which is based on her own book of the same name, originally published in 1986.

She told BBC Radio Wales: "I have never really left the story, because I met June and Jennifer when they were 18 years old and have remained with them ever since. In a way, their story has been my story, we have had our lives intertwined for 40 years."

The film is based on the book by Marjorie Wallace, originally published in 1986

For many years, Ms Wallace would spend weekends visiting the twins at Broadmoor, and worked with them to tell their tale.

She said: "There were times when the visits were quite sad, but most of the time they were really enjoyable because the twins, despite all their complexities, had the most wonderful sense of humour. Still today, June has this infectious laugh.

"The real story came from their diaries, 3,000 words a day each about each other and their love-hate relationship. Through reading their diaries, I got to know the story of their pact and what was, finally, the tragedy of their lives."

Ms Wallace said the girls, from a young age, turned their bedroom into a "crucible of self-education" which she had the opportunity to pick through in order to find their influences and inspirations.

"They taught themselves and they started to write. They showed real imagination and a great skill."

Marjorie Wallace says June Gibbons remains a "wonderful friend" to this day

Ms Wallace said their story was a "terrible" one, but believes both girls knew they could not both live: "One of the girls had to die, to sacrifice themselves so the other would be truly liberated, and they decided it would be Jennifer.

"June was suspended by both grief and liberation. They could not have gone on together. She accepts that with a wonderful sense of resolution, and I find June to be the most wonderful, comforting friend."

Ms Wallace still regularly sees June, and said she was a "wonderful person".

"She has now got peace within herself. I asked her, 'why did you do it [only speak to each other]?' She said, 'I really really do not know. It's a mystery'."

The Silent Twins is in UK cinemas from 9 December.