HARRISBURG — A lawyer who is advising some of the victims at the heart of the Penn State child sex-abuse scandal said he is worried that people angry about Joe Paterno’s firing could turn the victims into scapegoats for the football coach’s sudden departure.

Harrisburg attorney Ben Andreozzi said today he believes the university trustees did not consult with the victims before replacing the 84-year-old Paterno late Wednesday, a decision that prompted angry students to gather in downtown State College shouting support for the coach and tipping over a news van.

“These sexual assault victims are now watching people parade and riot around the streets,” he said. “Now you have a football institution crumbling, and to think that is not in some way going to impact these victims is naive.”

Andreozzi, who specializes in sexual abuse cases, said he has been working to provide therapy to some of the victims, but stopped short of saying he represents them in any potential civil matters.

“I don’t want to go there, because there’s a criminal investigation going on,” he said. “It would be premature to comment on a civil lawsuit until the criminal process is played out.”