In 1960, nearly two dozen men and women stood before a Parisian court, accused of “debauching minors” and “attacks on morals.” The minors were a group of girls and young women, the youngest of whom was fourteen. Newspapers dubbed the scandal l’Affaire des Ballets roses. Among those found guilty were a former president of the National Assembly, his female companion, and an erstwhile policeman who recruited the victims. This talk examines the Ballets Roses Affair within the wider landscape of France’s post-World War II recovery. In particular, the scandal reveals a shifting set of morals, both sexual and political. The affair unfolded only a few years before May ’68 ushered in new conversations about sexuality and gender. Thus, it offers a window onto earlier tensions between private lives and public attitudes. The affair also coincided with a constitutional change and new political regime in France, leading commentators to link the trial to the demise of the Fourth Republic. Ultimately, the Ballets Roses Affair raises questions about whose behavior (and what behavior) might be sanctioned during a period of rebuilding and upheaval, and who might be above reproach.