OK folks, it is just an allegation. We don’t really know FOR SURE if he REALLY said this or not. All we have is the word of Juan Carlos Cruz, one of the child victims of sexual abuse by Chilean clergy.
I await clarification from the Vatican (sigh, this is getting to be a tiresome habit ).
Bergoglio did not believe Juan Carlos Cruz's word back when the latter reported his abusers to Bergoglio; but the Pope has since apologized to him. Why shouldn't we believe Juan Cruz now? What's changed?